True Power
by SNOzzie6
Summary: There's something special about Rylee. She's starting to figure things out, but there's still a lot more she has to learn. Based off of Pokémon: Black and White with some original events. I only own my OCs. Part 2 of A Valiant Voice.
1. According to Legend

Before I get things up and rolling again, let me take the time to recap. Some of you might be reading this first, and if you are, I recommend you read my first story to have a better grasp of things. **However, if you already know what's going on, you can skip this part and dive right back into the action, just look for the next bolded text.**

My name is Rylee. I'm traveling with my friends Ash, Iris, and Cilan through the Unova region. Our main goal in mind is traveling to the gyms strewn across the region so Ash can challenge them and earn eight badges, allowing him to enter the Unova League. I have my own personal agenda to attend to. As I went along on my journey, I started to realize that I have special abilities no human on earth has. I say "no human" because, technically, I myself am only half-human, inherited from my mother, Delilah. The other half of myself, inherited from my father, Brand, is, in fact, Pokémon.

Let me explain. All this started to unravel when I began experiencing these dreams where a mysterious creature came and spoke prophetically to me. After some research and reveal, the creature turned out to be Reshiram, the legendary Vast White Pokémon. Call him what you wish: legendary, awesome, majestic. My mom calls him Brand; I prefer to call him Dad.

With each event that took place along my journey, the powers inside me developed, surfaced, and strengthened. I had to know what the heck was going on, so my friends and I traveled to Eindoak Town, a place home to a castle called the Sword in the Vale. I found a secret area in the castle and there at the heart of the area rested my father, Reshiram. He told me who, or what, I really am: a Pokémon. Well, 50% of me, that is. When I was born, I spent the first hours of my life in my true Pokémon form, the legendary Time Travel Pokémon, Celebi. Since I'm a Pokémon, I have access to abilities that Pokémon possess: using Pokémon moves, conversing with and understanding Pokémon, as well as special abilities of my own, inherited from my father, such as the ability to transform into my Pokémon form, Celebi, and ESP, born through the memories of myself and those around me. Now, the moves and speaking powers came first, but the ability to transform took the longest to develop. As far as I know, I haven't been a Celebi since infancy.

But the events that are happening have awakened that power in me. My friends and I traveled to Milos Island to get some Revival Herbs for Clay, the Driftveil City Gym leader, but supply was very scarce. A boy we befriended, Lewis, suggested we summon Landorus, the legendary Pokémon and the guardian of Milos Island. We managed to summon a Pokémon, but it wasn't Landorus. It was another member of the legendary trio, Tornadus, and soon after Thundurus came along and the two engaged in a heated battle that's lasted since long, _long_ ago. Landorus tried to stop Thundurus and Tornadus, but they ignored him and instead directed their attacks towards him. Eventually, the intense fighting exhausted them, and apparently that's what Team Rocket, an evil organization from the Kanto region, wanted. They were the ones that brought Tornadus and Thundurus to Milos Island and they wanted me and my friends to summon Landorus, that way, after they weakened each other, Team Rocket could swoop in and capture them. I wasn't to let their plan succeed, so I frantically thought of a plan. My father's voice in my head told me it was time for me to "unleash my true power as a Pokémon Guardian". While I don't understand what a Pokémon Guardian is, as well as many other things my father refuses to tell me about, I did understand what he meant by true power. I took off after Team Rocket, climbing and jumping over rocks the height of Golurks and Serperiors. I jumped into the air, being overcome by light. My body suddenly shrunk about 4 feet, and I lost about 130 pounds, and when the light dispersed, there I was, flying in my true Pokémon form, Celebi, and heading straight for Team Rocket.

**I think that's enough reminiscing for now. **Let's see what other crazy stuff will happen that my friends and I will encounter. Whatever it is, wish us good luck.

* * *

><p>As I flew closer towards the helicopter, I could see the astonished expressions of Jessie, James, and Meowth, feeling also the awe of my friends watching below.<p>

_The cages holding the trio won't so much as dent when attacked from the inside or outside. __I guess I'll have to attack the source!_

I shot my hands out and hurled balls of AncientPower into the helicopter. It lurched to the side. I followed with a double Hyper Beam. The flying vehicle groaned menacingly.

_Zorua told me I knew Giga Impact. Let's try that out..._

I slowly curled up, like I was preparing to cannonball into a pool. The top of my head grew very warm. The energy spread down around my body to my feet in a shield of white and yellow power. I shot forward and slammed into the side of the helicopter. Bits of metal scraps and debris broke away and fell down around me. I backed away, gripping my head.

_Ouch. Note to self, don't slam into helicopters for a living._

I watched as Dr. Zager pushed a button on the helicopter's control panel. The container holding the legendary Pokémon trio dropped right by me before exploding. I cried out as I began falling to the ground. Light surrounded me and I saw I had transformed back into my human self.

"Rylee!" the voices of my friends calling out to me pumped adrenaline into my veins.

I suddenly stopped falling. I looked up to see Landorus hovering over me, holding me in his arms. Behind him, I saw Tornadus zoom over and hurl a baker's dozen of fresh Energy Balls at him. My attempts to warn him came out as a pathetic "GUH!" and the attack hit him in the back. He groaned and lurched forward. I fell out of his hands and fell to the ground again. I shot my hand out and created a plateau of Protect. I landed on it and slid off, landing on my hands and knees.

"Rylee! You did it!" Ash said. "You saved Landorus, Thundurus, and Tornadus!"

I stood up slowly and looked up at the trio as the battle resumed as if nothing happened. "But they're _still_ fighting. Who knows if they ever will?!"

"Guys, look!" Iris said. "Landorus is injured!"

We looked to see a bruised Landorus floating in the air, clutching his shoulder.

"But if Landorus can't fight..." Ash said.

"Wait, I know!" Iris said. "The Revival Herb! Remember from the legend?"

"Right!" Lewis said.

"But Lewis, where can we find Revival Herbs at this time?" Cilan said.

"Right here." I took off the Revival Herb that laid around my neck.

"Where did you get that?!" Lewis said.

"Lilligant gave it to me back at the cabin." I said. "She let me use one to heal myself and told me to save this one for later. This must be what she meant: to save Landorus and heal him!"

We heard the cry of Landorus and we looked to see two more of Tornadus's and Thundurus's attacks hit him head on.

"Landorus!" Lewis said. "Rylee, can you get the Revival Herb to Landorus?"

"I won't get it to him fast enough." I said. I paused. "But Gothorita can..."

Landorus smashed into the side of the mountain, creating a large crater. Tornadus and Thundurus loomed over him.

"Gothorita! Send the Revival Herb to Landorus!" I cried. I took the vial and threw it as hard as I could. Gothorita used her powers to take hold of the vial and send it flying over to Landorus. Tornadus and Thundurus attacked with Air Slash and Discharge. There was a large explosion. We waited in fearful anticipation.

As the smoke subsided, there floated Landorus, shielding itself with Protect. We all sighed in relief. Landorus flew high up and let out a powerful cry.

"We did it!" Lewis said. " 'Injured from its battle with Thundurus and Tornadus, Landorus received a Revival Herb from an islander and recovered! And Gothorita gave it power!' It's just like the legend!"

"Now Landorus can defeat Tornadus and Thundurus!" Cilan said.

"Do it, Landorus!" Ash cried. "Stop Tornadus and Thundurus, and save the island!"

Landorus looked down at us and nodded. Tornadus and Thundurus charged, but Landorus used Extrasensory to push them back. Collecting his hands together, he launched a giant Hyper Beam at the two. There was another explosion. There, floating in the air, Thundurus and Tornadus hung with exhaustion. Landorus came over and he pressed a hand on their chests. They all glowed with a purple aura.

"Landorus is conveying its thoughts." Cilan said.

Gothorita chanted and it glowed the same purple.

"Gothorita's doing the same as well." Lewis said.

"So will I." I said. I stepped beside Gothorita, bringing my hands together and holding them over my heart. I bowed my head and my body tingled.

"_Tornadus and Thundurus._" Landorus, Gothorita, and I said. "_This battle must come to an end. Release your past angers and look forward into the future of hope and peace._"

The trio Pokémon glowed even brighter. Finally, the light subsided. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Tornadus and Thundurus turn to each other with calm expressions.

"_Thundurus..._" Tornadus said. "_All this battle brought forth was destruction. Truce?_"

Thundurus nodded. "_Yes, brother. Truce._"

"_My friends._" Landorus said, placing a hand on their shoulders.

"It looks like Landorus got through to them!" Ash said.

The trio Pokémon approached us. Lewis stepped forward.

"Landorus, I ask you..." he said. "Please heal this land."

Together, Landorus, Tornadus, and Thundurus healed and raised up luscious fields of Revival Herbs as far as the eye could see. As we looked at the Revival Herbs, we saw Lilligant prancing through the field.

"Lilligant! You're all better!" Lewis said.

We looked to the trees, where we saw the forest Pokémon emerge, looking healthier than ever.

"All of the Pokémon are returning!" Iris said.

The clouds departed and warm sunlight engulfed the island.

"Milos Island is back to the way it used to be." Lewis said, wiping away a joyful tear.

* * *

><p>I walked over to the trio Pokémon.<p>

"Landorus, Thundurus, Tornadus." I said. "Thank you."

"_Thank you, daughter of Reshiram._" Landorus said.

"Please, call me Rylee."

"_Guardian of Pokémon,_" Tornadus said. "_your duty to the world has now been realized._"

"My duty? Guardian of Pokémon? I don't know what you're talking about."

"_I suggest you seek guidance from your father. And from within yourself._"

"_We wish to thank you._" Thundurus said. "_Here._"

Each of the three brought their hands together, creating a ball of energy: orange for Landorus, green for Tornadus, and neon blue for Thundurus. They released the energy into the air. They clashed together into one ball of multicolored energy. It burst and sparkles of light rained down around me. A small ball of white light, about the size of a tennis ball, floated down to me. I reached out and watched it fall into my hands. The light subsided and revealed a golden locket. I pinched the chain between my thumb and index finger and held it in front of my face.

"What's this for?" I asked. As I watched the locket spin around, I noticed the design on the front. The front of the locket had the Japanese symbol for "sister", engraved in purple.

"_There is only one other locket like that in the world._" Landorus said.

_What, does Alyssa have it?_ I rolled my eyes.

"Thank you. It's beautiful." I said. I laid the locket back in my hands and gently cupped them together. "Milos Island will forever be grateful to you."

"_Farewell, Rylee._" the legendary Pokémon trio said. One by one, Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus took off up into the sky.

I took the locket and clipped it on. It rested right above Articuno's PokéBall. I placed a hand over my heart, feeling the PokéBall displayed proudly to the world and the small bump of my new locket hiding in secret, waiting for its true meaning to be revealed. Thundurus's words replayed in my mind.

_Last time, Dad kicked and shut me out. But... I should try again. Whatever he's hiding, he'll have to tell me at some point._

* * *

><p>We waved goodbye to Lewis as out boat set sail. Ash clutched the burlap sack stuffed to the brim with Revival Herbs in his hand.<p>

"Now, we can get these to Clay and I can have my gym battle!" Ash said.

I sat cross-legged on the bench and looked out into the sea. I watched the water glide underneath the boat and kiss the sides. I fiddled nervously with my hands.

"Rylee." a voice said. I turned my head to see Cilan with Zorua on his shoulder. She jumped down into my lap.

"_This is incredible!_" Zorua said. "_Now y__ou can transform into your Pokémon form, just like your dad!_"

"Yeah, just like my dad..." I said, turning my eyes back to the clear blue below.

"What's wrong?" Cilan said. He sat down beside me. I could feel the warmth of his legs radiating into my knees. "What's on your mind?"

"Everything." I said. "So many crazy things have happened in such a short period of time."

"But you have to admit, it's been fun."

"_Yeah. Like remember when Pansear got so mad at Chili that it blew fire in his face?_" Zorua said, busting up in a flurry of mischievous giggles.

I looked away and forced the memory of Chili's lips out of my head. Cilan noticed.

"Did something happen between you and my brother?" he said.

"Um..." I said. I looked him in the eye to seem believable. "Nothing really. He just told me some unusual things, thanked me for helping him and Pansear, but I assure you everything's fine."

Cilan stared at me and I could feel my facade crumbling slowly. I tried my best to internally patch the leaks and cracks. He knew I was lying.

"All right." he said finally. He stood up and walked back to Iris and Ash. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he stared out over the sea.

Zorua jumped out from my lap and sat in Cilan's spot.

_"He knows." _ Zorua telepathized.

"What? What do you mean?" I said, my voice low.

_"Something happened between you and Chili, and it was more than "a few words". What was it again? Oh, it's on the tip of my tongue... or in this case, I should say lips."_

My eyes widened and I glanced at Cilan's back.

_"He... he knows?" _I replied through mental communication. _"How do you know?"_

_"He doesn't just know... he _saw _it._" Zorua placed her paw over my hand.

Images flowed into my mind. I saw Chili and I at the battlefield in the Driftveil City Pokémon Center. I watched him kiss me, and I swallowed down the vile taste that arose in my mouth. Suddenly, the view panned out and I saw someone standing at the entrance, hidden in the shadows. Cilan. I saw him stand there in shock, along with many other emotions flashing across his eyes. He stepped back behind a pillar. As I ran out of the battlefield, Cilan took a deep breath and walked onto the field.

_"Chili, there you are!"_

The images ripped out of my mind. I gasped and yanked my hand out from under Zorua's paw, causing her to yelp in surprise.

_"That's what I saw when I jumped onto his shoulder." _Zorua said.

I gulped. _"Is that all he knows?"_

_"I think so. Why, was there something else?"_

I looked at Cilan and my heart grew heavy. I clenched my fist.

_"It's obvious to me that you like Cilan. And since I know my brother so well, it's obvious to me that he feels the same way."_ Chili's voice echoed in my mind.

"Rylee?" Zorua said.

"I need to go inside." I whispered. I stood up and retreated to my room.


	2. A Cave Surging with Mystery

We delivered the Revival Herbs to Clay, who finally accepted Ash's gym battle challenge. Ash beat Clay and received his 5th gym badge. The next gym we set off to was the Mistralton City Gym.

"According to my map, Chargestone Cave is just up ahead past the forest." Cilan said, glancing up from his map.

"What's Chargestone Cave?" Ash said.

"Well, it's a cave made up of electrically charged rocks and boulders." Cilan said. "People who have gone through the cave always say that there's a ton of mystery within it."

"Electrically charged stones?" Ash said. "Sounds like something you'd like, Pikachu!"

We looked at Pikachu, who suddenly looked exhausted and weak. He fell to the ground.

"Pikachu! What's wrong?" Ash said, scooping him into his arms.

We noticed a small yellow Pokémon latched onto Pikachu's back.

"A Joltik!" Iris said.

"Joltik's been draining Pikachu's electricity!" I said.

Ash tried to pry Joltik off. Oshawott came out and tried to help, but the Joltik fired a Thunderbolt at them, hopped off Pikachu, and scurried away.

"Are you okay, Ash?" I said.

"I'm fine, but Pikachu needs help!"

"Here, Stunfisk's Thundershock can help." Cilan said.

"Emolga can too!" Iris said.

Iris and Cilan fished out their PokéBalls, but Joltiks clung to them, sucking up their electricity. They ran off and Emolga and Stunfisk came out looking just as bad as Pikachu.

"We've got to get them to a Pokémon Center, quickly!" I cried.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for waiting!" Nurse Joy's cheerful voice filled the room. "Your Pokémon are doing just fine!"<p>

"Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Iris said.

Iris, Cilan, and Ash collected their Pokémon.

"You're very welcome!" Nurse Joy said. "Although... it's very strange to see Joltik, since they don't live around here."

"Huh?" we all said.

"Outta the way, outta the way! OUTTA THE WAY!" a voice cried.

We turned around and Iris, Cilan, and I jumped away as Bianca came running in. She slammed into Ash and sent him flying into the fountain next to us. He sat up, sputtering and coughing up water.

"BIANCA!" he cried. "What now?! Why are you in such a hurry?!"

"I am so sorry!" Bianca said, quickly giving him small bows. "It's just that my X-transceiver suddenly stopped working!"

She handed it to Nurse Joy and she examined it. "I think the battery is dead!" she said. "Don't worry, I'll get this charged up."

"In the meantime, I'm going to give Professor Juniper a call!" Bianca said.

Bianca walked over to the video chat computer and called up Professor Juniper.

"Bianca, hello!" she said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine!" Bianca said. "I'm actually at the Pokémon Center right nearby where you are-!"

Ash jumped in front of Bianca. "Hi, Professor Juniper! It's me, Ash!" he said.

"Oh, hi! I guess everyone's here!" Juniper said. We all squeezed into the camera view.

"It's good to see you, Professor Juniper!" Iris said. "Where are you?"

"I'm at Chargestone Cave." Juniper said.

"Hey, that's where we're headed!" I said.

"That's great! Maybe I'll see you there-"

The call suddenly got cut off.

"Huh? What happened?" Cilan said.

Nurse Joy came over and handed Bianca her X-transceiver. The power in the room went out as well.

"What's going on?" Iris said.

"The power's gone out." Nurse Joy said. "The back up generator should be up in a bit."

A few moments later, the lights flickered back on.

"Why did the power go out?" Ash said.

"I'm not sure..." Nurse Joy said.

"Think about it, guys." I said. "Those Joltik we ran into drained Pikachu, Emolga, and Stunfisk, who are all Electric-type Pokémon. Maybe they drained the Pokémon Center's electricity too."

"If they did, why?" Cilan said.

"Maybe Professor Juniper will know." Bianca said. "Let's head to Chargestone Cave!"

"Wait, guys! Look out the window!" Iris said. We looked to see a couple of Galvantula crawl past the window. "Those Galvantula must be the cause of this."

"I believe you're right." Nurse Joy said. "This is very strange to see Galvantula over here. They get all of their electricity from the stones in Chargestone Cave."

"Maybe this all hasn't been a coincidence." Cilan said. "Perhaps the Pokémon weren't able to use the cave, so they drained our Pokémon instead."

"That makes sense..." I said. "But what would prevent them from using Chargestone Cave?"

"Maybe when we go to see Professor Juniper, we could investigate as well!" Bianca said.

"If you do, please be careful." Nurse Joy said.

"We will, Nurse Joy." Cilan said. "And thank you!"

* * *

><p>As we made our way to Chargestone Cave, Bianca told us about how she was going to trade her Shelmet with Professor Juniper's Carrablast. Cilan explained they would both evolve during the trading process, so Bianca would receive an Escavalier. Suddenly, a pair of Galvantula blocked our path. Pikachu whimpered.<p>

"It's okay, Pikachu." Ash assured.

Bianca called out Minccino. "Leave this to me! Minccino, use Thunderbolt on that tree!" It did so, causing the Galvantula to migrate towards the tree. "Now use Swift on the branches!"

Minccino's Swift caused large berries to fall. They hit the Galvantula and knocked them out.

"Now's our chance! Let's go!" Cilan said.

We ran down the road, but only just a few seconds later, more Galvantula appeared and surrounded us. They began to spark with electricity. I shot out my hand and used Protect to create a dome around us. The Galvantulas used Thunderbolt, which bounced off the Protect. My Protect faded and the Galvantula used Thunderbolt again, this time hitting us. When the attack stopped, two Galvantulas used String Shot and grabbed Pikachu and Minccino. They turned around and scurried away.

"Hey, get back here!" Ash cried. "Pikachu!"

As we ran after them, they shot webs of String Shot as obstacles. Iris called out Excadrill and had him break the string with Metal Claw. Ash and Bianca ran ahead of us and suddenly vanished. I ran forward and came to realize there was a cliff.

"Whoa!" I lurched forward. Iris and Cilan grabbed my arms and pulled me back before I could fall.

"Ash! Bianca!" Cilan called.

"What do we do?!" Iris said.

"Let's find another way to get down there." I said.

We found a slope to travel down to where we believed Ash and Bianca landed.

"You know, I'm still confused by this..." Cilan said. "Why would the Galvantula and Joltik want Pikachu's electricity and the Pokémon Center's as well?"

Iris and I agreed in his puzzlement. We heard voices. We looked to see Professor Juniper walking along the grass.

"Professor Juniper!" Iris called.

She saw us and made her way over. "Oh, my! What are you three doing here? Where are Ash and Bianca?"

"We got separated from them." I said. "The Galvantula lurking in the forest took Pikachu and Minccino away."

"Oh no!"

"Do you by any chance know why the Galvantula and Joltik from around here are stealing electricity from anywhere except the Chargestone Cave?" Cilan asked.

"Actually..." Professor Juniper said. "We saw that there was an area in Chargestone Cave that was completely blocked off."

"Blocked off? could something be in there?" Iris said.

"That's what I'm going to find out."

"We'll come with you." I said.

"Really?" Professor Juniper said. We nodded. "All right, then. Let's go."

* * *

><p>We arrived at Area 4, but there was a giant door in the way.<p>

"What's this doing here?" Professor Juniper said.

"If we can get inside, we might be able to figure out who's behind this!" I said.

"But how will we get this door open?" Cilan said.

Professor Juniper, her assistant, and Cilan tried to pry open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Wait, guys!" Iris said. She approached the door and put her ear up to it. Her eyes widened. "Something's coming this way! Get away!"

We ran away from the door. It opened and a vehicle came out.

"What in the world is THAT?!" Professor Juniper said.

"Not what, but WHO." a voice said. A platform came up and revealed Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"Team Rocket?!" Iris, Cilan and I cried.

"So it was you!" Professor Juniper said. "You were the ones that chased away the Galvantula and Joltik!"

"Chased away?" Jessie scoffed. "All we did was politely ask them out on cave leave!"

"It makes mining electric stones easier!" James said.

"Mining?" Professor Juniper said.

"That's why the Pokémon drained the electricity from Pikachu and the Pokémon Center!" Iris said.

"You won't get away with this!" Cilan said. Cilan called out Dwebble and I sent out Zorua. "Dwebble, use X-Scissor!"

"Zorua, use Night Daze!"

Dwebble jumped into the air and brought its pincers together into an X before coming down. Zorua's eyes glowed and she pounded her front paws into the ground. A dark aura spread over the area. But the vehicle continued to move forward. Iris called out Excadrill and used Dig. It created a hole and the vehicle drove into it.

"Pesky little twerps!" Jessie said.

"Huh? Look!" Meowth cried.

There was a huge herd of Galvantula and Joltik.

"I've never seen so many Galvantula and Joltik!" Professor Juniper cried.

"Iris! Rylee! Cilan!" Ash and Bianca came running over to us.

"You're okay!" I said.

The Galvantula and Joltik used Thunderbolt on Team Rocket's vehicle. It began to float.

"That vehicle must be _loaded_ with electric stones!" Professor Juniper said.

The attack stopped and the vehicle fell to the ground. Team Rocket jumped out as it smashed into the ground. It landed on its side and the top opened, spilling the tons of electric stones hidden inside.

"Whoa, there's a ton of them!" Ash said.

"Team Rocket must have driven away the Joltik and Galvantula so they could steal them!" Cilan said.

"Those crooks!"

"We went through all of this hassle because of them?!" Bianca said. "UNFORGIVABLE!"

"Believe me, this isn't the only damage that has been cause because of Team Rocket's selfishness." I said. I clenched my fist and my eyes grew warm. "And what's worse is... no matter what happens, they're not going to stop!"

Jessie and James sent out their Woobat and Yamask. They attacked our Pokémon with Air Slash and Shadow Ball.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Minccino, Swift!"

The attacks landed on Yamask. Woobat used Gust on Excadrill and Dwebble.

"Hold on, Excadrill!"

"You too, Dwebble!"

Dwebble fell back a bit, but it managed to trudge forward. Suddenly, it was overcome with bright blue light.

"Look at that!" Iris said.

"I know that glow!" Ash said.

"And that means, it's EVOLUTION TIME!" Cilan cried, pumping his fist in the air.

Dwebble evolved into Crustle.

"Evolving means nothing to us!" Jessie said. "Woobat, Air Slash!"

As the air attack hurtled towards Crustle, it formed a giant rock between its pincers. It chucked it at Woobat, crushing the Air Slash and slamming into it.

"That's Rock Wrecker!" Cilan said, his face glowing with delight. "To be able to use a move with such finesse and power is a dream come true!"

"Woobat, Air Slash once more!"

"Yamask, use Shadow Ball!"

"All right, Cilan, let's finished this together!" I said.

"Right!" Cilan said. "Crustle, use Rock Wrecker!"

"Zorua, Night Daze!"

Crustle launched another boulder at Woobat and Yamask. Zorua's Night Daze cause the rock to absorb the dark power. It zoomed at the enemy Pokémon, directly hitting them both. The rock continued and crashed into the vehicle, causing it to explode. A small crate of electric stones floated in the air and flew off, along with Team Rocket on their jetpacks.

"Hey, get back here!" I cried.

Cilan put a hand on my shoulder. "There's no need. What's important is that Team Rocket is gone and the Galvantula and Joltik can go back into the cave!"

"Right." I shrunk back. "Sorry. Guess I got a little carried away."

* * *

><p>The Chargestone Cave was buzzing with Joltik and Galvantula. They chattered their thanks to us, only being understood by the ears of our Pokémon and myself.<p>

"What a relief!" Iris said. "No more Joltik clinging to my PokéBalls!"

I laughed. Professor Juniper's assistant approached us.

"I've cleared the path back to camp!" he said.

"Okay!" Professor Juniper said. She turned to us. "Let's go!"

"Yeah!" we all cried.


	3. Ruining the Ruins

The Pokémon Evolution trade worked. Shelmet and Carrablast evolved into Accelgor and Escavalier. However, as we wrapped up, a man emerged from the cave and collapsed on the ground. We carried him to Professor Juniper's tent and gave him some food. It turns out that the man was Professor Juniper's dad, Professor Juniper (I know, confusing).

"So, this is your father, Professor?" Ash said.

"Yes, and he's also a researcher specializing in legendary Pokémon!" Professor Juniper the younger said.

"You mean like Zekrom?" Iris said, stealing a glance at me. "And Reshiram?"

"Yes! So, papa... what brings you here?"

"There was a new ruin recently discovered to have links to the Legend of the Hero!" the older Juniper said. "It also could be where the Hero made contact with Zekrom!"

"Awesome!" Ash said. "Please let us come with!"

"I would never..."

We reeled back in surprise. "We're sorry to offend you in any way!" Cilan said.

"...turn down such bright young adventurers!"

"Huh?" we all said.

"You see, my father has a habit of stopping in the middle of his sentences when he has important things to say..." Professor Juniper said. "Maybe it would be best to wait for him to finish."

"So can we go with you?" Iris said.

"Of course!" the older Juniper said.

"All right!" we all cheered.

* * *

><p>We said our goodbyes and left the campsite. Professor Juniper Sr. led us through Chargestone Cave, through a forest, and up a rocky cliff. When the night fell, we set up camp and ate.<p>

"Professor Juniper..." I said. "Would you mind explaining to us what the Legend of the Hero is?"

"No way!" Professor Juniper cried.

"Huh?"

"...would I ever refuse you!"

"Right..."

Juniper pulled out a journal. "There's a passage in section 18 of the Chapter of Darkness from Pokémon mythology. 'When the Hero turns darkness into light, and the Hero's heart becomes one with the Pokémon, Zekrom shall descend and lend the Hero its power!'"

"Wow, Zekrom?!" Ash said.

"If what you said about this ruin being true, we might actually be able to see Zekrom!" Iris said.

"Or, maybe we won't..." I said, nonchalantly sipping from a hot chocolate mug. "After all, it could just be a rumor."

"Rylee, don't you want to see Zekrom?" Cilan said. "You know... considering who your father is?"

"Let's just say that my father isn't a fan of Zekrom, and neither am I."

"Well, all in all, I want this to be an exciting adventure for you kids and for you to have lots of fun!" Juniper said.

* * *

><p>The next morning, we arrived at the entrance of the ruins. When we entered, it looked like something from pyramids from Egypt.<p>

"Now be careful." Juniper said. "There might be various traps laid out to catch unsuspecting intruders."

"Uh... aren't _we_ unsuspecting intruders?" I said.

"We'll just have to make sure we watch our step." Ash said.

We came up to a wall with a Venipede statue inserted in a slot. Professor Juniper found an encrypted message and began to decipher it.

"It says that turning the statue to the left..." he said.

"Like this?" Cilan turned the statue to the left.

"Is a bad idea!"

"What?!"

The wall came down and behind it was a gigantic boulder.

"Ah! RUN!" Juniper cried.

We turned around and ran as the boulder came tumbling after us. Cilan called out Pansage and it used Dig to create a hole. We jumped in after it and the rock rolled over us.

"Adventure Rule #1: Act AFTER everything I say!" Juniper said.

"_Now_ he tells us!" Iris said.

"I know you have your whole 'wait to finish your sentence' thing," I said. "but can you _please_ save that for after we're out of here and no traps can almost kill us?"

"Come now!" Juniper said. "The ruin is waiting to be explored!"

"Did he even hear me?!" I mumbled.

* * *

><p>We climbed out of the hole and continued down the path to two long, rickety, old bridges with a threatening black pit looming underneath.<p>

"I bet you that one of these is a trap!" Cilan said.

"Professor Juniper, do you know which bridge is the right one?" Ash said.

"Let's see here..." Juniper said. "Crossing the bridge on the left..."

"Is a trap, right?" Iris said.

"...Is wrong." Juniper said. Iris groaned. "Crossing the bridge on the right..."

"That must be the right one!" Cilan said.

"...Is also wrong!"

"WHAT?!"

There was a crash as the bridge collapsed. Iris and I ran to the edge and looked over. Ash and Cilan clung to the remains of the bridge still attached.

"Ash! Cilan!" I called. "Are you okay?!"

"We're just... hanging out down here!" Ash said. Cilan whimpered beside him. Iris and I grabbed the bridge remains and pulled the two boys up.

"Adventure Rule #2: Never assume!" Juniper said.

"That's good to know..." Ash said.

"It would've been better about 10 minutes ago!" I said.

"But wait. If both bridges are traps, how will we get to the other side?" Iris said.

"And who knows? That cave at the end could also be a trap!" Cilan said.

"Does this mean we're at a dead end?!" Ash said.

"Hmm... Maybe there's another way!" I said.

Axew called to us over by a path.

"Good job, Axew!" Iris said. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>The next area had three entrances: one looked like a Golett, the second one a Darumaka, and the third a Krokorok.<p>

"Any ancient text to tell us which one is right?" Iris said.

"Not that I can see." Juniper said.

"If we can't tell which one is the right one, we'll have to go through all of them!" Cilan said.

We went through the Darumaka entrance first. As we walked, the path in front and behind us spontaneously combusted into flames. Cilan's Stunfisk helped us escape. The second entrance we went through, the Krokorok entrance, came to a dead end when suddenly the walls started to close in on us. Iris's Excadrill held the wall for us so we could get out.

"Now all that's left is the Golett cave." Ash said, trying to catch his breath.

"To tell you the truth, I knew that the Golett cave was the right one all along!" Juniper said.

"WHAT?!" we cried.

"Then why didn't you tell us?!" I said.

Juniper laughed. "I thought it would be better to keep my mouth shut so you could all get the full grasp of this exploration enjoyment!"

"I swear, if this research doesn't put an end to him, I will." I grumbled.

"Enjoyment was NOT the word I had in mind..." Iris said.

We passed through the Golett cave and entered a room filled with coffins.

"Think this could be a trap?" Ash said.

"Anything is possible in this cave..." I said.

We came to what seemed like a revolving door.

"If we all push hard enough, we could get it open." Juniper said.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is another trap?" Iris said.

"For once, your instinct may be correct." Cilan said.

"Come on, guys! It's all or nothing!" Ash said.

As we pushed, the door began to open. There was an extremely bright light. We went through the door to a large room. There was a long staircase that led down to a small area with large icicles surrounding the center. There was a large open hole in the ceiling. We were down to the area.

"Is this the area where the Hero contacted Zekrom?" Ash said.

"I believe it may!" Juniper said.

"WOW! That means that we're standing right where Zekrom once was!" Cilan said.

Pikachu called for us. In the center of the area was a gold orb the size of a basketball. I could see power pulsing inside it.

'What is that?" Ash reached out to touch it, but Juniper grabbed him and pulled him away.

"Don't touch that! That is the Golden Dark Stone!" he said. "It could very well be booby-trapped!"

"We've gone through plenty of that before..." I said.

"No, this could be far worse. Worst-case scenario, we don't make it back at all."

"AT ALL?!" Ash cried.

"Adventure Rule #3: Danger in moderation! This is as far as we will go."

"Oh, man!" Ash said. "I was really hoping to see Zekrom!"

"Me too!" Iris said.

"Come on, guys, listen to the man." I said. "Let's leave before we get into any more traps."

As we turned to leave, a Sigilyph appeared. It attacked us with Psybeam. Pikachu tried to attack, but Sigilyph caused it to fall asleep.

"Run!" Juniper cried.

We ran back to the room with the coffins, and we found that they were empty.

"Quick! Everyone hide in them!" Cilan said. We did so. The Sigilyph scanned the area, then left.

"It's gone." Juniper said.

"What a relief!" Cilan said, and we came out of the coffins. Pikachu woke up.

"Hey, guys..." I said. "Iris hasn't come out yet."

"Come on, Iris! Sigilyph's gone!" Ash said.

"You can come out now!" Cilan said.

The coffin slid open, but inside wasn't Iris. A Cofagrigus came out. We all screamed. Ash pulled out his Pokédex and scanned Cofagrigus.

"_People who approach Cofagrigus are swallowed and turned into mummies._" it read.

"TURNED INTO MUMMIES?!" Ash cried. "You let Iris go right now!"

Cofagrigus's eyes glowed and it entangled Ash and Pikachu with Telekinesis.

"Oh no! Ash!" I cried.

"It's up to you two." Juniper said.

Cilan and I looked at each other and nodded. We called out Pansage and Zorua.

"Use Dig!"

Pansage scrambled underneath the ground. It came back up underneath Cofagrigus and slammed into it. Cofagrigus launched Will-O-Wisp.

"Zorua, use Protect!"

Zorua stepped in front of Pansage and cast a green shield around the two. The Will-O-Wisp deflected off and faded away.

"Now, use Shadow Ball!"

"Pansage, use Solar Beam!"

A ball of pulsating darkness gather at the tip of Zorua's snout. Pansage raised his arms and a ball of yellow-green light formed in between his paws. They hurled their attacks at Cofagrigus and they both hit. Cofagrigus turned back into a regular coffin. Ash and Pikachu fell to the ground, free from Telekinesis. Iris and Axew fell to the ground, covered in bandages. We hurried over and unwrapped them.

"All right, I QUIT!" she cried. "We got to get out of here!"

Cilan pushed on the revolving door, but it wouldn't move. A different wall moved, revealing a passageway.

"A path! Let's go!" Juniper said.

We entered a room filled with more coffins. All of them revealed themselves to be Cofagrigus. We continued running, only to be stopped by the Sigilyph. It chased us with Psybeam.

"Why won't the Pokémon realize that we didn't even lay a hand on the Golden Dark Stone?!" Cilan said.

"Because we did!" Professor Juniper pulled the Golden Dark Stone and held it up.

"Professor Juniper! _What were you thinking?!_"

"You told us not to touch it, REMEMBER?" Iris said.

"For a researcher like me, the things you're not supposed to touch are the most irresistible!" Juniper said. He let out a hearty laugh.

"THAT DOES IT!" I cried. I lunged and tackled Professor Juniper to the ground. I snatched the Golden Dark Stone from him and stood up. "Here, Sigilyph! Take the Golden Dark Stone back!"

Sigilyph attacked with Psybeam again. I fell back to the ground. The Dark Stone tumbled out of my hands.

"I don't think things will be better until we return the Dark Stone to its proper place!" Juniper said.

The Cofagrigus entered and used Telekinesis on us. They lifted us into the air and over to a wall. It opened and we tumbled down to a stream of water.

"Where are we?" Iris said.

"I believe we are in the place where intruders are held." Juniper said.

"Does that mean we'll NEVER get out?!" Cilan said.

"Nonsense!" Juniper said. He pulled out the Dark Stone. "In fact, I deliberately stole the Dark Stone so we would end up here!"

"Really?" Ash said. "You're so awesome, Professor Juniper!"

"_Awesome?!_ Give me that!" I cried, snatching the Dark Stone away again. "This isn't exciting! Do you know how many times you've almost gotten us killed?! You're not a researcher! You're INSANE!"

"Now, now..." Juniper said. "According to the legend, the Hero encountered Zekrom deep below the surface of the world! Follow me!"

As we walked, the Golden Dark Stone began to glow in my hands. A mural appeared on the ceiling.

"Quoting from section 4 from the chapter of Darkness from Pokémon mythology, 'Defeated and overcome with despair, the injured Hero waited deep beneath the surface of the world, resigned to his fate, when the legendary Pokémon Zekrom appeared and helped the hero escape the darkness'!" Juniper said.

"Then that means we shouldn't give up! We'll escape too!" Ash said.

"But how, Ash?" Cilan said. "I don't see any possible way in which we could escape!" Cilan said.

"Adventure Rule #4: Don't give up until the very end!" Juniper said. "There has to be a way out, so let's split up and look."

"_Do you really believe in this legend Professor Juniper is talking about?_" Zorua said once we were out of the others' hearing range.

"Maybe... I don't know." I said. "I just hope that is this Golden Dark Stone really is Zekrom, he'll help us find a way out of here."

"Hey, Rylee!" Iris called. "Professor Juniper found something!"

I hurried back over to everyone. Juniper examined another ancient message. He got the wall wall to open and we stepped back into the main room where we found the Golden Dark Stone. We went down and I set the Stone back in its pedestal. A Cofagrigus and Sigilyph appeared.

"Oh no, they're back!" Iris said.

I took a step forward. "Look, we're really sorry!" I said. "We didn't mean to take the Dark Stone! Just let us leave now!"

"_Very well..._" Cofagrigus said.

Its eyes glowed green and trapped us in its Telekinesis. We flew up through the hole at the top of the ceiling and high up into the air. Suddenly, the Telekinesis wore off and we began to fall to the ground.

"Adventure Rule #5: the answer to escaping mortal danger lies within the legend's core!" Juniper said.

"Right!" Cilan said. "Zekrom came and lent the hero its power after his heart because one with the Pokémon!"

"That means WE need to have our hearts become one with our Pokémon!" Iris cried, clutching Axew tightly to her chest.

_Our Pokémon..._ I looked to Zorua. I reached up and touched Articuno's PokéBall. _And maybe not just the ones I own and travel with. Maybe my dad had a good reason to shut me out. Instead of forcing him to tell me things, I should come to know him more. And mend our hearts together._

We stopped falling. I felt the effect of Telekinesis wash over my body again. We were carried back into the ruins. Sigilyph and Cofagrigus stood before us, but their desire to attack us disappeared.

"They... saved us." Cilan said.

"That would indicated that our hearts successfully became one with the Pokémon." Juniper said. "I have come to believe that this really is the place where the legend was. While we were exploring, I sketched the map of the ruins, and it actually looks like an outline of Zekrom!"

"Wow, I guess anything IS possible..." Iris said.

"Adventure Rule #6: Making strong and unbelievable assumptions may lead to new discoveries!" Juniper threw back his head and laughed.

* * *

><p>We made it out of the ruin with no traps triggered or Pokémon attacks.<p>

"Be honest." Juniper said. "Was this adventure as much fun for you as it was for me?"

"Well, I might have to fib a little..." Iris said.

"It was totally awesome!" Ash said.

"I have to admit, despite the traps, Pokémon attacks, and nearly falling out of the sky, this really was kind of fun." I said. "I'm sorry about what I said to you earlier, Professor Juniper. You're not insane... maybe a bit crazy, but not insane."

"All is forgiven, my dear!" Juniper said. "but now that the exploration is done, I think I'm going to stay behind and continue my research. I look forward to seeing you all again!"

"I hope so too!" Ash said.

"And maybe you can take us to another ruin the next time!" Cilan said.

"I'm looking forward to that! Take care!" Juniper said.

"Goodbye, Professor Juniper!" we all waved as he walked down the path and out of sight. We walked in the opposite direction.

"I hope that one day I can actually meet Zekrom in person!" Ash said.

"One step at a time, Ash." I said. "Although it would be nice to meet the legendary Pokémon, there's so many other things for us to discover on this journey!"

"Yeah..." Ash said. "Hey, do you think I'll be able to meet Reshiram? 'Cause that'd be SO cool!"

"Geez, Louise..." Iris said, causing a laugh from Cilan.


	4. A Different Way to Battle

Continuing on our way to Mistralton City, a few things happened. Ash caught a Krokorok that's been Pikachu's rival since the beginning of his journey. We also wondered into Bouffalant territory, and the only way to prevent them from attacking us was to wear giant, multicolored, curly wigs. Finally, we made it to Mistralton City.

"I'm so excited to get my sixth gym badge!" Ash said. "Let's get to the gym right away!"

* * *

><p>We arrived at the gym, however below the gym sign was another that read "Mistralton Cargo Service".<p>

"THIS is the Mistralton City Gym?" Cilan said.

"Aw, who cares?!" Ash said. "It's time for my gym battle!"

Ash ran to the door, but a boy stopped him.

"Are you a challenger?" he said. "If so, you need to wait there."

The boy pointed to a big line of kids within rope lines curving around up to the gym.

"You mean that line?" Ash said.

"I'm afraid so." the boy said. "The morning group's all filled, so you're looking at the afternoon group." He walked away.

"That's weird." Iris said. "This IS the city's gym, right?"

"Something's a bit different on this gym's menu." Cilan said.

"...What's a morning group?" Ash said.

"Do you have an appointment?" a worker asked.

"Appointment?"

"Mistralton City gym battles must be booked in advance." the man looked at a clipboard. "There's a small opening in the afternoon. Do you want me to write you in?"

"Uh... sure..." Ash said.

The worker scanned Ash's Pokédex and gave him his appointment card. Just then, an airplane came cruising down the runway, stopping in front of us. A girl jumped out from the plane and removed her helmet, showing off her maroon-red hair and blue eyes. She looked at the crowd and placed the helmet against her hip.

"Hi!" she said. "My name is Skyla, and I'm the Mistralton City Gym leader!"

"Whoa, so that's the gym leader!" Ash said.

Skyla approached the group of challengers within the red rope.

"You guys are the morning group, right?" she said. "Let's see, so there are 15 of you..."

"Huh? How will she be able to handle 15 of them?" Ash said.

"First, you'll be using three Pokémon!" Skyla brought out her Pokémon: Swoobat, Unfezant, and Swanna. A boy came up to Skyla and presented his Pokémon: Zebstrika, Boldore, and Emolga.

"They show all of their Pokémon before they battle?" I said. "I've never seen that before."

"Now, my morning challengers! It's time for takeoff!" Skyla said. "Let the Air Battle begin!"

"Air Battle?" Ash said. "I've never heard of it."

"Neither have I." Cilan said. "That's a new one on me..."

Skyla closed her eyes. A minute later, she opened them. "You show great strength. You win!"

We all cried out. "That's it?!" Iris said.

"Talk about unusual." Cilan said.

Skyla walked over to the challenger and gave him a badge. He thanked her and ran off.

"All right, who's next?" Skyla said. A girl approached Skyla.

As the boy ran by, Ash stopped him. "Hold on just a minute." he said. "THAT was a real gym battle?"

"What? You don't know about Air Battles?" the boy said.

"No..."

"Time to take off for our second flight!" Skyla cried. The next challenger had a Leavanny, Sewaddle, and Pansear. Skyla closed her eyes and opened them a few moments later. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I win this battle! You don't stand a change with those Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon! And that means there's no badge!"

"But you didn't even have a battle!" Ash protested.

"Oh, yes they did! They battled in Skyla's mind!" The boy said. Challenger after challenger, it only took a minute or less until Skyla either decreed that she won or lost. "Skyla is so strong that with just one look at a challenger's Pokémon, she can imagine the battle in her head!"

"She imagines them?" Ash said.

"That's ludicrous!" I said.

"I get it." Iris said. "That's how she can handle 15 challengers!"

Cilan looked ahead with an angry look in his eye.

"All right! Time for our last morning challenger!" Skyla said. The final challenger had a Munna, Foongus, and Cottonee.

"But it's not a gym battle..." Ash mumbled.

I heard Cilan growl beside me. I could feel the waves of anger radiating from him. Skyla closed her eyes. A few moments later, she opened them.

"And that's that!" she said. "I win!"

"Oh, of all the..." Cilan said. His eyebrow twitched. "STOP THIS!"

Cilan and Ash marched over to Skyla.

"Guys!" Iris said.

"Wow, I'm used to Ash getting ticked off, but coming from Cilan's a bit unusual." I said.

Skyla approached some workers and grabbed her helmet. "I think I can squeeze in a quick flight before the afternoon group!" she said.

"SKYLA!" Skyla turned to see Ash and Cilan stalking over to her.

"What's wrong?" Skyla said.

"Come on!" Ash said. "You call those gym battles?!"

"I _demand_ that you give us an explanation! IN FULL!"

"Easy now, you're scheduled for the afternoon, right?" Skyla said. "We'll talk then! But now I gotta run! You have _no_ idea how busy I am!"

Skyla climbed into her plane and slid her helmet on. The engine started and her plane took off down the runway and into the sky.

"But wait a minute!" Cilan said.

"Skyla!" Ash cried, stomping his foot against the ground.

Iris and I walked over to Ash and Cilan as we watched Skyla's airplane loop around in the sky.

"There she goes..." Iris said.

"I don't want a battle like that..." Ash said.

"I won't _tolerate _a battle like that!" Cilan said. We all looked to him, who fumed as dangerously as a volcano. "This has got to stop! _NOW!_"

"Cilan!" I said. "You need to calm down!"

"You don't sound too happy." an old man with gray hair collected in a low ponytail wearing a Hawaiian shirt approached us.

"Who are you?" Ash said.

"I happen to be Skyla's grandfather." the old man said. "My name is Miles."

* * *

><p>Miles took us inside the gym, where we sat in a room with many model planes dangling on strings.<p>

"I used to be the Mistralton City Gym leader, then after I retired, I started my lifelong dream of starting a cargo business." Miles said.

"Well, I want to know what _you_ think about your granddaughter's battling styles!" Ash said.

Miles sighed. "Skyla was once well known for taking her gym battles very seriously. Her challenges became so well known, trainers from all over the Unova region flocked here. She became busier and busier and the time for her to pursue her love of flying grew shorter." Miles said. "So that's when she came up with these Air Battles. It allowed her to dramatically shorten the time she consumes with gym battles and put that towards flying."

Cilan slammed his hands on the table and stood up, leaning into Miles's face.

"That's still no excuse!" he cried.

"That's exactly what I told her..." Miles said. He sighed again. "And that's just the way it is. Perhaps you would be better off going to another gym."

"No way! I want to challenge this gym!" Ash said. "Especially if Skyla is as great as you say she is!"

"Well put, Ash!" Cilan growled. "I'm a gym leader too, and I will _NOT_ tolerate this level of gym battling!"

"Cilan!" I said. I could see the wildfire blazing in his eyes. I reached out and put a hand on his arm.

Familiar images flushed into my mind. I saw myself back at the Driftveil City Pokémon Center being kissed by Chili.

I pulled my hand away, feeling breathless.

_This anger he's feeling... It's not just from Skyla._

* * *

><p>We walked outside and waited. Finally, Skyla's plane came and landed on the runway. She jumped from the plane and took off her helmet.<p>

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Skyla said. "Are you ready to begin our flight?"

The afternoon group of challengers cheered. Cilan walked past them and over to Skyla.

"I remember you from this morning." Skyla said.

"I apologize for my rude outburst." Cilan said, offering his hand. "My name's Cilan, and I'm a gym leader of the Striaton City gym."

"WOW!" Skyla shook Cilan's hand excitedly. "This is the first time I've met a leader from a different gym!"

"The pleasure's mine." Cilan said. "By the way, would you do me the honor of having a Pokémon battle with me?"

Skyla reeled back. "A battle between two gym leaders... Well, you did travel all the way from the Striaton Gym! You're on!"

Skyla and Cilan called out their Pokémon: Skyla's being Swoobat, Unfezant and Swanna, and Cilan's being Pansage, Stunfisk, and Crustle. Skyla looked at Cilan's Pokémon and smiled.

"There! I win again!" she said.

"No way!" Iris said.

"Come on!" Ash said.

"How can you be so sure?" Cilan said. "If you don't actually battle, how will you know?"

"I'm too strong!" Skyla said. "Why waste my time on a battle in real time when I already know who will win?"

"Skyla, please, you did accept my challenge. The least you could do is battle the way I would prefer."

"Alright... If that's the way you want it, fine. But promise you won't be sad when you lose."

"Yes, I promise, but like fine cuisine, you never know the way the battle will be like without tasting it first!"


	5. Reconciliation

We went to the battlefield. Iris, Ash, and I stood on one side of the field while Skyla's challengers and fans stood on the other. Miles refereed.

"Do you think Cilan can beat Skyla?" Iris said.

"Maybe, but the way Miles described how strong she is..." Ash said.

"Guys, come on." I said. "You've got to have faith in Cilan. Whether he wins or loses, we don't know. You just have to trust that he knows what he's doing."

"And... BEGIN!" Miles said.

Cilan brought out Pansage and Skyla brought out Swoobat.

"Pansage, Bullet Seed!" Pansage took a deep breath and shot seeds at Swoobat.

"Dodge it and use Air Cutter!" Swoobat dodged and attacked. It hit, and Pansage spun around repeatedly.

"Stay strong! Use Bite!" Pansage leaped into the air at Swoobat, but Swoobat dodged again.

"What a shame!" Skyla giggled. "It's useless if you don't hit your target! Now, Swoobat, wrap this up with Gust!"

Swoobat flapped its wings and overwhelmed Pansage in its strong wind. It hit the ground, unconscious.

"Pansage is unable to battle!" Miles said. "Swoobat is the winner!"

"Skyla did it, just like the Air Battle." Iris said quietly.

Cilan returned Pansage to its PokéBall.

"Just like I thought!" Skyla said. "That's how it goes!"

"It is true that you are skilled in Pokémon battles. But this battle isn't over yet!" Cilan brought out Crustle. "Rock Wrecker!"

A large boulder formed between Crustle's pincers and he chucked it at Swoobat. It hit directly and it fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Swoobat is unable to battle! Crustle is the winner!" Miles said.

"I guess I should've expected that with a Rock-type move..." Skyla said, returning Swoobat to its PokéBall.

"So, have your predictions changed a bit?" Cilan said.

"No way! I'm still on course, and I'm still gonna win!" Skyla brought out Unfezant.

"Use Rocket Wrecker!" Again, the attack hit.

"Use Air Slash, now!"

"Block it!"

Unfezant attacked, but Crustle retreated to its large rock. The Air Slashes bounced off the rock.

"All right, it's now EVALUATION TIME!" Cilan said.

"Which means it's also Boring Lecture Time." Iris grumbled.

"Now, Skyla, although a gym leader, you've done poorly at showing the best Flying-types have to offer!"

"HUH?!" Skyla said, placing her hands on her hips. "Where did this sudden arrogance come from?"

"There's obviously a strong and powerful connection between you and your Pokémon." Cilan continued. "However, in the moves you're choosing, there's weakness!"

"Weakness?"

"There's more to gym battles than simply calling moves! A gym leader's task is to measure your challenger's skills and the connection with their Pokémon as well! But it seems like you and your Pokémon have no concept of that at all!"

"Doesn't all this talking bore you?" Skyla rolled her eyes.

"Never! You see, if a challenger succeeds and I reward them with a badge, I take pride in that!" Cilan said. "A gym badge should be a symbol of high honor for a challenger and Pokémon team!"

"But isn't a badge just a badge?"

"That kind of thinking cheapens its value!" A determined glint sparkled in Cilan's eyes. "Now let the battle continue! Crustle, Shell Smash!"

Crustle leaped out from its rock protection and its shell broke away.

"X-Scissor!" Crustle zoomed towards Unfezant and landed its attack. Unfezant fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Unfezant's unable to battle!" Miles said. "Crustle's the winner!"

"I can now see why you're a gym leader, with a combo like that." Skyla said. She returned Unfezant to its PokéBall and called out Swanna.

"Rock Wrecker!" The rock came hurtling at Swanna, but it dodged at the last second.

"Use Bubblebeam!" Crustle retreated to its shell, but the attack sent it sliding back a bit. "Great job! Now use Brave Bird!"

Swanna charged.

"Crustle, use Shell Smash!" Crustle leaped into the air. As Swanna rammed into its shell, it jumped out from it. "Now X-Scissor!"

"Ha! I knew you would try that combo again!" Skyla said. "Swanna, use Brave Bird!"

Swanna and Crustle both charged at each other with X-Scissor and Brave Bird. Dust and smoke rose in the air, and when it subsided, Swanna flew out and Crustle laid on the ground, unconscious.

"Crustle is unable to battle!" Miles said. "Swanna's the winner!"

Cilan returned Crustle to its PokéBall.

"Your Crustle's not half-bad! But still, a loss is a loss." Skyla said. Cilan scoffed. "You still can know the outcome without trying! I say not trying gives the same results! That's why Air Battles are the way I roll."

Cilan clutched his PokéBall until his knuckles turned white. "I'm going to win this battle and prove that a gym leader has no right to make such a horrendous statement!" he growled under his breath. He sent out Stunfisk. "Stunfisk, use Thundershock!"

"I've never seen Cilan this angry before." I said.

"It comes out when it's something he's really passionate towards." Iris said.

"But still... it kind of terrifies me."

"Don't worry. Once the battle's over, Cilan will go back to normal."

_If only you knew..._

Stunfisk's attack hit, but even with the type advantage, Swanna shook off the attack.

"Oh, come on, please don't disappoint me!" Skyla said. "If you want to defeat me and my Flying-type Pokémon, you'll have to know a more powerful move like Thunderbolt at least!"

"Hm... she's strong." Cilan said.

"Use Hurricane!" Stunfisk was carried up into the air. "Think you can use Electric-type moves now?"

"Don't underestimate my Stunfisk!" Cilan said. "Use Scald!"

As Stunfisk spun around, it used Scald, creating a dome of boiling hot water. Swanna screamed as the water showered it. It glowed red from burns.

"Swanna, no!" Skyla cried. Her eyes began to shake as she stared at Swanna. I noticed Swanna give her a look. Skyla understood, and she smiled and giggled.

"Now what?" Ash said.

"Just watch!" Skyla said. "Use Aqua Ring!"

Rings of water surrounded Swanna. The water dispersed and Swanna cured itself of its burns.

"Mud Bomb, go!" Stunfisk shot multiple Mud Bombs, but Swanna dodged them gracefully.

"You won't smudge Swanna's beautiful feathers!" Skyla said. "Use Brave Bird!"

Swanna charged and rammed into Stunfisk. It laid on the ground, unconscious.

"Stunfisk is unable to battle!" Miles said. His voice teemed with disappointment. "Which means that Skyla... is the victor..."

"Haha!" Skyla said. "You see, I knew I'd win right from the start!"

Cilan cried out and fell to his knees.

"Whoa, poor Cilan..." Ash said.

"What happened to him out there?" Iris said.

Ash looked over to Skyla and scowled. He walked over to her while I approached Cilan.

"Cilan?" I said. "It's all right. We know you did your best out there."

I reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, but Cilan sprung up to his feet, flailing his arms to push me away. I gasped and stepped back. With his fists clenched, Cilan turned and walked away. Tears stung my eyes as I watched him disappear into the warehouse. I moved my eyes to the ground.

"_Rylee?_" Zorua said, nudging my ankle with her cheek.

* * *

><p>"Look, Skyla! To tell you the truth, I think your Air Battles are boring!" Ash said. "I challenge you to a battle. A <em>real<em> gym battle!"

Skyla sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Now, you listen here..."

"Skyla." Miles stepped up to Skyla. "I want you to battle Ash too."

"But I just proved that Air Battles are fair and square!" Skyla said. "It'll always be the same-"

"It'll _never_ be the same!" Ash said. "Look, when Pokémon and trainers have to battle, they should do it for real! Using Air Battles to decide who wins? That's the most boring and stupidest idea I've ever heard!"

"Well, the truth is, it's a waste of time!" Skyla said. "You wouldn't stand a chance battling me!"

"Well you can't say that without GIVING me that chance! As far as I'm concerned, you are a lousy excuse of a gym leader!"

Skyla scoffed as she glared down at Ash. "Fine then. Show me your Pokémon!" Ash sent out Tranquill, Krokorok, and Pikachu. Skyla looked over the three of them. "Impressive. They all have very good balance. Still, I have no doubt that I'd defeat you in a battle hands down!"

"No!" Ash said. "It's the other way around!"

"We'll see..." Skyla said.

The battlefield filled with the pleas of Skyla's challengers, begging her to battle Ash.

"Hear that, Skyla?" Miles said. "You don't want to deny the pleads of your fans, now do you? Besides, I would also like to see you battle Ash!"

"Hm..." Skyla said. "Fine then! I accept your challenge!"

"Really? Awesome!" Ash said.

"Thanks, but I'm still going to win." Skyla sneered. "The battle will take place here at the Mistralton gym tomorrow at noon! I'll be waiting!"

Skyla turned around and left with a snicker.

Ash scowled. "I'm gonna win."

* * *

><p>~THIRD PERSON POV~<p>

Ash, Iris, and Cilan sat in their room at the Pokémon Center.

"Ash, you've been like that for ever!" Iris said to Ash, who sat upside-down on his head on his bed. His eyes were closed tightly and he mumbled to himself.

"I've got it!" Ash cried eventually. He somersaulted and landed on his feet.

"Got what?"

"My strategy for tomorrow!"

"Are you saying you showed Skyla the Pokémon you were going to use tomorrow without a plan?!" Cilan said.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it, 'cause now I've got a plan! I'm going to beat Skyla tomorrow without a doubt!" Ash said.

Iris looked around the room. "Hey, have any of you seen Rylee?" she said.

"Now that I think about it, no." Ash said. "Do you know where she is, Zorua?"

Zorua shook her head. "_Even when I did see her, she didn't talk to me._" she said. "_Right Cilan's battle with Skyla, she came in before you guys and she told me to stay here. Then she left, and I haven't seen her since._"

Cilan's face fell and he looked at the ground.

"What's wrong, Cilan?" Ash said.

"I think I know why she's upset." Cilan said. He stood up and walked to the door. "I'm going to look for her."

"_Can I come with you?_" Zorua said.

"No." Cilan opened the door. "Please. I need to do this by myself."

Cilan closed the door behind him. Iris and Ash side-glanced at each other.

* * *

><p>~RYLEE~<p>

I stood on the roof of the Pokémon Center. Yes, the roof; a perk of being half-Pokémon and having a giant flying bluebird as your best friend. I gazed up at the sky until I went cross-eyed and the stars and the moon twinkling above me morphed into one big light. A small breeze picked up and I tugged at my gray pajama shorts, hoping they would suddenly stretch into pants.

"Rylee?" a whisper carried through the wind into my ears. I peeked over the edge to see Cilan on the ground, looking up at me. I called out Articuno and sent her down. Cilan hesitantly climbed up on her back, and she flew him up to the roof.

"Thank you." Cilan said to Articuno. I returned her to her PokéBall. "I, um... brought you a blanket. You must be chilly."

I remained silent with my back turned to him.

"We haven't seen you since after Ash challenged Skyla." Cilan said. "I think I know why you were upset..."

"And I know why _you_ were upset as well." I said.

"Huh?"

"Earlier today, you were absolutely furious at what Skyla was doing with her Air Battles. But the anger you felt, the anger that stirred inside of you, it wasn't just from Skyla. In fact, I bet very little of your rage was because of Skyla." I turned around and took a deep breath. I raised my gaze to meet Cilan's. "You were there. You saw what happened between me and Chili. You saw him kiss me."

Cilan stared at me, unable to speak.

"I didn't think you would be so upset by it. I was too. I had no idea he was going to do that. But when Zorua showed me your memories and when I touched you earlier today, there was one thing in common. The emotions that I felt as I witnessed that moment were yours: Hurt. Anger. Betrayal. I felt so guilty despite the fact that I was the victim." I paused to take a breath. "I care about you too much to see you get hurt, especially if I'm the cause. I'm sorry I hurt you, Cilan. I'm sorry that I'm a horrible friend and I'm sorry I did this to you."

I turned around, wiping my eyes. "I'm sorry."

I cradled Articuno in my hands as I returned my eyes back up to the sky. It was so quiet, I thought Cilan left. But then I felt something warm drape around my shoulders. I looked to see a blanket on my shoulders with his hands resting on them as well. He turned me around, keeping his hands on my shoulders.

"If anyone is to blame for being a horrible person, it's me." Cilan said. "I'm sorry for making you feel guilty. It's just that when I saw... it happen, I assumed you preferred Chili over me."

I looked at the ground and chuckled. I adjusted the blanket.

"What's so funny?"

"Where did this sudden arrogance come from?" I said.

The smile on Cilan's face returned and we both giggled quietly. The moon pulsed its rays down on the earth and reflected in his grass-green eyes. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around Cilan.

_You'll always be my number one preference._

I didn't know if he heard me, but I could feel his arms around me squeeze me tighter. The warmth in my cheeks flared.


	6. Operation Restoration

The next morning, Ash had his gym battle. He defeated Skyla and his Tranquill evolved into Unfezant in the process. Ash received his 6th gym badge. The next gym nearest to us was in Icirrus City, so we set off. On the pathway to Icirrus City, we stumbled upon a large mountain named Twist Mountain. We wandered through the paths of the inside.

"I feel like we've already gone this way before." Ash said.

"Now I know why it's call Twist Mountain." I said.

"You don't think we're lost, do you?" Iris said.

"Why don't we try and retrace our steps?" Cilan said.

"Wait!" Iris said.

"What?" Ash said, but Iris shushed him. We listened and heard a clicking noise echoing down the path and we saw a light at the end. We followed the light and noise and found a man wearing a construction helmet, chiseling away at the stony wall with a Drillbur at his side.

The man lifted his eyes at us. "Uh, excuse me, but who are you?" he said.

We introduced ourselves. Cilan noticed a strange rock on the ground and flipped out with excitement.

"Did you find this?!" he said. "This will be the discovery of the century!"

"You're getting pretty thrilled about a rock..." I said.

Cilan gasped and stared at me like I offended him with that statement.

"This isn't a rock! Look at the delicate designs of the shell-like object!" he said. "This is no other than a Pokémon Fossil!"

"You sure know your stuff." the man said, picking up the Fossil. "You're very lucky. You have just witnessed an earth-shattering breakthrough in all of Pokémon archaeology!"

"Pokémon archimano-what?" Ash said.

"It means the study of ancient Pokémon history through fossils and other materials." I said.

"Oh, sure, you know what Pokémon archaeology is, but you don't recognize a fossil when you see one." Iris said. I nudged her with my elbow.

"That is enough for today, Mr. Amateur Archaeologist!" a woman stood with her hands on her hips. She wore an orange jumpsuit and red worker helmet. She had blonde hair and green eyes. "I should've known you were up to something. My workers did report of someone smashing things up around here!"

"Look, Sierra!" the man said. "I told you I'd one day find a fossil and I did!"

"You know better, Ferris! This place is off-limits to outsiders!" Sierra said. Her eyes shifted to us. "Who are _those_ people? You have helpers now?"

"We're not helpers!" Iris said. "We just got lost and we ran into Ferris looking for help!"

"Whatever. You need to leave. I'll show you the way out."

"Hey, Ferris, can you tell us more about that fossil?" Ash said.

"Of course! Why don't you come over to my house?" Ferris said.

* * *

><p>We went to Ferris's house, where he cleared away the extra rock around the Pokémon Fossil. The fossil looked like a turtle shell.<p>

"I knew it! It's a Cover Fossil!" Ferris said. He pointed to a picture of a turtle Pokémon. "The shell belongs to a Tirtouga; a Pokémon that once lived in ancient times long ago!"

"Wow, I can't believe that Tirtouga once lived here in Twist Mountain!" Ash said. "I'm just so excited!"

"Anyone who gets excited about this is such a little kid." Iris said.

"Au contraire!" Cilan said. "Fossils are exciting! They are the missing links between ancient times and our world today! And for someone like me who loves solving puzzles, finding the Cover Fossil is the icing on the puzzle cake!" We all chuckled nervously.

"I'm glad that I kept searching and believing." Ferris said. He picked up a photo of him, Sierra, and two other kids when they were children.

"We always did enjoy exploring Twist Mountain." Sierra said. "But we always got yelled at for going places we weren't suppose to."

"That may be true, but thanks to our exploring, I got to meet a real live Tirtouga."

"What?!" we all cried.

"But Tirtouga are extinct. The proof is in that fossil." I said. "How is that possible?"

"Well, one day a long time ago, me, Sierra, and two of our friends were out exploring." Ferris said. "Everyone ran ahead of me and I wound up getting lost. As I was catching my breath, I saw a light peeking through some rocks. When I removed the rocks, can you guess what I found?"

"What?! What did you find?!" Ash said, eagerly enraptured by this tale.

"I stumbled upon a whole new world! One with rumbling volcanoes, strange wildlife, and the most fascinating Pokémon that I ever laid my eyes on." Ferris said. "While I was looking at the view, I came across a Tirtouga that was being picked on by some Archen. However, when I tried to drive them away, they ended up attacking the _both_ of us!"

"Oh, no! What happened next?" Iris said, and I chuckled to myself.

"Well, all of a sudden, a flurry of Hydro Pumps came at us, driving the Archen away. When I looked up, I saw a bunch of Carracosta, the evolved form of Tirtouga! That's how I met Tirtouga."

"Wow, Carracosta?" Ash said. "That's so cool!"

"Indeed. Tirtouga and I spent so much time playing together, we lost track of time." Ferris continued. "I gave him my explorer necklace, and then I started hearing the voices of Sierra and my friends looking for me. I said goodbye to Tirtouga and I ran. I ran through a strange land that never seemed to end. I woke up to see my friends and some workers, telling me that they had been searching for me the whole time. One thing I know for certain is that was no dream. After that, I studied hard to become a Pokémon researcher, and I learned a lot. My best friend turned out to be Tirtouga, the Prototurtle Pokémon. They lived long ago, but now they're extinct."

"So that means that there are still some Tirtouga living around here!" Ash said.

"So, somehow Ferris wound up in a strange ancient world." Iris said. "That's how he met Tirtouga."

"I find your theory a bit hard to believe..." Cilan said.

"Me too." Sierra said. "It doesn't seem like reality to me."

"You've been saying the same thing forever. But, as you can see, I've now found the Fossil! That is an undeniable fact that Tirtouga really did live here long ago!" Ferris picked up the Cover Fossil and turned to us. "I believe that there's a place inside Twist Mountain where time flows differently, and when I was a kid, I somehow stumbled upon it by accident, and that's how I met Tirtouga!"

"Ferris, I would appreciate it if you didn't come to the mines anymore." Sierra said. "It just creates a lot of confusion for us while we're working and-"

Suddenly, a metal claw burst through the window, shattering it, and snatched the Cover Fossil from Ferris's hands. We all cried out in surprise.

"What's going on?!" Ferris said.

"I might have an idea." I growled and we all ran outside.

* * *

><p>"Team Rocket!" Ash cried. "Give us back that Fossil!"<p>

"Who's Team Rocket?" Ferris asked.

"They're a nasty group of people that steal Pokémon and use them for evil!" Cilan said.

"What are you clowns up to this time?!" I said.

"Whatever it is, I don't care!" Iris said. "Give us back the Fossil!"

"Sorry, not today." James said. "You see, confiscating the Cover Fossil is the key to succeeding our mission!"

"And it was easy, thanks to that lousy amateur of a scientist." Jessie said.

"Why you-!" Ash cried.

A team Rocket helicopter zoomed above us and hovered behind the three members.

"Smell ya later, fools!" Meowth cried.

"Stop!" I said.

Ash, Ferris, and I ran towards the helicopter. As the helicopter lifted up off the ground, we jumped into the air. I managed to grab onto the ledge as well as Ash, but Ferris slipped and fell to the ground.

"Ferris!" Sierra ran to his side and helped him up.

"Ash! Rylee!" Iris called.

The helicopter took off.

"We've got to go after that helicopter!" Sierra said.

"Right!" Iris and Cilan said.

Iris, Cilan, Ferris, and Sierra piled into a car and drove off after the helicopter.

* * *

><p>"Give us back that Fossil!" Ash cried.<p>

Jessie pressed a button on a control and an energy field appeared between us. Ash ran forward, but he ran into the shield and fell back.

"Ash, are you okay?" I said.

"Stand back, Rylee!" Ash said. He had Pikachu use Thunderbolt, but the shield absorbed it. "WHAT?!"

Jessie and James chuckled. Pikachu used Thunderbolt again with the same pointless results.

"You can use up all your electricity, but you still won't be able to get through our energy field." James said.

There was a rumbled, indicating the helicopter had landed.

"Everything's right on schedule!" Meowth said.

The door behind them opened, revealing the old man with white hair and a monocle over his left eye.

"YOU!" I cried.

"I see we have guests." the man said. "You caused us quite a bit of trouble the last time we met."

"So who are you?" Ash said.

"The brains behind Team Rocket." Jessie said. "The brilliant Dr. Zager."

Suddenly, my head felt like someone smashed a brick against it. I gasped and clutched the sides of my head as images flooded before my eyes.

* * *

><p><em>I saw my father speaking to someone who I realized to be Dr. Zager.<em>

_"Her powers are developing." my father said. "She needs to grow up in a safer environment. I'm afraid I have to leave for now."_

_"Are you sure?" Dr. Zager said. "After first losing... you know who... do you think she can emotionally handle her father being absent from her life?"_

_"I don't know." my dad bowed his head. "But whatever the case, I need to protect my family."_

* * *

><p>The images were painfully ripped out from my mind. I gasped and fell back into the wall.<p>

"I see that just the sound of my name triggered a memory." Dr. Zager said.

"You... you knew my father." I said breathlessly.

"As a matter of fact, I did, many years ago." Dr. Zager said. "But even when he was gone, that fool couldn't stop your powers from awakening."

James handed Dr. Zager the Cover Fossil.

"What are you going to do with that fossil?" Ash cried.

A machine hummed and its lid slid open. Zager placed the fossil inside the machine and the lid closed.

"Undergo my Fossil Restoration Machine!" he said.

"Does that mean... you're going to restore Tirtouga?" Ash said.

"Bingo!" Jessie said.

"This technology uses electric stones from the Chargestone Cave and the same data used by Dr. Fennel to restore Archen from the Plume Fossil." James said.

"What possible reason could you have for restoring Tirtouga?!" I said.

"Fine, I'll explain... At the base of Twist Mountain, there is a very special phenomena: a space time warp, which creates a pathway to the past." Dr. Zager said.

"A pathway to the past?" I said. "Ferris must have stumbled upon the time warp when he was a kid! That's how he met Tirtouga!"

"However, my research has indicated that the "time gate" is enlarging, but soon it will shrink and close." Zager said.

"But we found out that by using the life force of a certain Pokémon, we can stabilize the time gate and preserve it!" Meowth said.

"So you're planning on taking a Pokémon from the past and using them to your evil bidding?!" I said.

"Correct! And then we'll rule the Unova region!" Meowth cackled.

"That's not gonna happen!" Ash said.

Pikachu used Thunderbolt a third time, but it still didn't work.

"Foolish twerps." Jessie smirked. "Now watch the magic of restoration!"

Dr. Zager activated the Pokémon Restoration Machine. The Cover Fossil glowed and energy crackled through it. Codes and data popped up on a screen.

"Behold!" Zager cried. "The restoration of the Prototurtle Pokémon: Tirtouga!"

There was a bright light. When it subsided, there in the machine was a real Tirtouga, asleep inside the container.

"They... actually did it..." I said. I noticed something poking out from underneath Tirtouga.

Tirtouga opened its eyes.

"_Huh?_" it said. "_Wha... what's going on?!_"

The lid of the machine opened and Tirtouga hopped to the ground. It tried to run, but Jessie and James called out Yamask and Woobat.

"No! Don't hurt it!" I cried.

"Team Rocket, you leave Tirtouga alone!" Ash said.

Yamask and Woobat approached Tirtouga. It trembled underneath its shell.

"NO!" I said. I ran towards the energy field.

"Rylee, no!" Ash said.

Ash I came in contact with the energy field, I expected the force to send me back. But instead, feeling like slow motion, my body fell forward, phasing through the energy field. It felt like I was running underneath a stream of water. Team Rocket gasped as I rolled forward. I stood up in front of Tirtouga with my hands stretched out to the side.

"I won't let you use Tirtouga!" I said.

"_Let's get 'em!_" Tirtouga said.

I glanced at it and nodded. I jumped beside it and we attacked with a double Ancient Power. Team Rocket dodged and the attack rammed into the restoration machine. It exploded. The energy field was destroyed and the sides of the helicopter blasted open.

* * *

><p>~THIRD PERSON POV~<p>

"Look!" Iris called as smoke rose up from the forest.

"That must be where the plane landed!" Cilan said.

"Let's go!" Sierra said, pounding her foot against the gas pedal. The car zoomed forward.

* * *

><p>As the helicopter filled with smoke, Ash coughed and tried to hide his stinging eyes from the pollution. He and Pikachu tumbled out of the helicopter, but there was no sign of Tirtouga or Rylee.<p>

"Tirtouga must not get away!" Dr. Zager said. "Find it and the girl!"

"Right!" the other three said.

"Ash!" Ash looked to see a yellow vehicle pull up. The window rolled down, revealing Sierra, Ferris, Iris, and Cilan's faces.

"There you are!" Iris said. "Where are Team Rocket and the Cover Fossil?"

"Rylee and I managed to get on board, where Team Rocket restored the Cover Fossil back into a Tirtouga!"

Ferris gasped. "It can't be!" he cried.

"It is!" Ash said. "After it was restored, Tirtouga and Rylee attacked Team Rocket. The machine that restored Tirtouga along with the helicopter were destroyed. Now, Tirtouga is gone, and so is Rylee!"

"Where did they go?" Iris said.

"Wherever they went, we need to find them!" Ferris said. "We can't let Team Rocket use Tirtouga for their evil plans!"


	7. Evolution of Ancient Proportions

I woke to the sound of running water. I sat up and saw Tirtouga staring at me.

"What happened?" I said. I recalled an explosion. I remember the double AncientPower destroying the Restoration machine Team Rocket built. My eyes felt sore from the smoke. I looked at Tirtouga. "You dragged me away from the helicopter, didn't you?"

Tirtouga nodded. I smiled.

"Thank you." I said. "I'm just happy you're safe."

I stroked Tirtouga's shell. It continued to stare at me.

"_Who were those people?_" Tirtouga said.

I scowled. "That was Team Rocket. They are an evil organization whose main goal is to steal Pokémon and use them for evil." I said. "The older man with the monocle built a machine and restored you back to life. They want to use your life force and try and invade your home so they can steal your friends."

"_What?!_" Tirtouga trembled in fear.

"Don't worry. I won't let that happen." I said. "I promise. I'll keep you safe and I'll help your return home."

"Rylee!" a voice called. I looked to see Ash and Ferris running over to us.

"I'm so glad that you're all right." Ferris said. Ferris tried to approach us, but Tirtouga growled. It jumped in the air and used AncientPower.

"Stop, Tirtouga!" I said. "They're my friends!"

But Tirtouga didn't listen. It attacked again with Brine. Ash and Ferris jumped away and the water crashed into nearby shrubbery. We heard a growl and a herd of angry Whirlipede came zooming at us. We screamed in fright. The Whirlipede locked their eyes on Tirtouga and headed towards it. Ferris ran in front of Tirtouga.

"Whirlipede! Stop!" he said. The Whirlipede rammed into him. He cried out and fell to the ground.

"Ferris!" I said. I turned to the Whirlipede. "Leave us alone! We didn't mean to disturb you!"

The Whirlipede roared and charged right at me. I screamed and shielded my face with my arms. However, when I opened my eyes, a shield of Protect warped in front of me and the Whirlipede mindlessly barreled into it.

"This isn't my Protect." I said quietly, returning my arms to my sides.

A car horn sounded and a yellow jeep burst from the trees, with Zorua and Crustle riding on the top. Zorua used her Protect to push the Whirlipede back. As they came barreling towards me again, the jeep pulled up beside me. A window rolled down, and Cilan poked his head out.

"Crustle, use Rock Wrecker!"

Crustle hurled a giant rock at the ground in front of the Whirlipede, creating a giant hole. The herd of Bug Pokémon crashed into the hole and fell unconscious.

"Come on, get in, guys!" Iris said, opening the car door.

Zorua hopped down from the roof and onto my shoulder. Cilan called Crustle back to its PokéBall. Ferris, Ash, and I hopped into the jeep with Tirtouga shaking in Ferris's arms.

"Thanks, guys." I said.

"Hang on!" Sierra said. She beat her foot against the gas pedal and we charged back into the forest. "It's hard to believe that Tirtouga was actually restored, but now that I'm looking right at it, it's hard not to."

"Team Rocket is planning on capturing ancient Pokémon by using Tirtouga." I said.

"How are they going to do that?" Iris said.

"By using the time gate." I said. "That's the space time warp beneath Twist Mountain. It's a portal that can actually take you back into the past."

"I must've been one to stumble upon it when I was a child." Ferris said.

"You mean, back when we used to explore the caves?" Sierra said.

"Yes." Ferris said. "Do you know anything else about the time gate, Rylee?"

"Team Rocket said that Tirtouga's life force can be used to stabilize the time gate." I said. "Team Rocket wants to do that in order to keep the time gate open so they can have access to the past."

"Of course!" Cilan said. "That way they can catch a myriad of ancient Pokémon and be able to travel back and forth through time!"

"Team Rocket..." I growled. My eyes grew hot. "They won't get away with this. Not on my watch."

Tirtouga whimpered.

"Don't worry, Tirtouga." Ferris said. "We'll protect you."

"I promised, and so do they." I said.

Tirtouga smiled.

* * *

><p>We stopped to give Tirtouga something to eat. After it ate, we sat around as it napped.<p>

"Tirtouga must be exhausted." Ash said.

"Waking up in a new world after sleeping for so long can really take a lot out of you." Cilan said. He noticed me staring at a spot in the ground. "Rylee, what's the matter?"

My hand made its way to cradle Articuno's PokéBall. "When Ash and I were on Team Rocket's helicopter, there was a man named Dr. Zager." I said.

"Oh, yeah!" Ash said. "He's the one who created the machine that restored Tirtouga!"

"Right. But there's more. Dr. Zager and my dad were friends years ago. I had a vision of a conversation between them. He said he needed to leave in order to protect my family." I glanced at Zorua. "It's obvious my father is hiding so much about my past from me, but when I tried to talk to him about it, he shut me out. Even a member of Team Rocket knows about me and my father! Who else could possibly know about my powers?"

"Who cares?" Ash said, and I looked at him in surprise. "Your powers are an awesome gift that you have!"

"And if anyone were to try and take advantage of that, we'll be there right by your side to help you!" Iris said.

"You'll always have us." Cilan said.

I smiled. "Thanks, guys."

"So! Uh... let's get going!" Ferris said. He stood up and picked up Tirtouga, who continued to snooze. "We should leave before Team Rocket finds us!"

We stood up, along with the hairs on the back of my neck. I cast my eyes to the sky and gasped to see Yamask flying towards us. It looked faded, so I assumed it was invisible to everyone else. It launched a flurry of shadow balls at Tirtouga and Ferris.

"Look out!" I cried. I lunged and tackled the two to the ground.

Yamask appeared completely and used Night Shade. Team rocket flew in on jet packs.

"Team Rocket!" Iris cried.

"You're not getting Tirtouga!" Ferris said, standing up.

"We'll see about that!" Jessie said. She called out Woobat, who used Gust. Dust and debris picked up in the air. Yamask sent another rain of Shadow Balls on us. I looked over at Tirtouga.

"Tirtouga!" I cried. I scrambled to my feet and ran over. Meowth shot a net at Tirtouga. I covered Tirtouga with my body as the net encased us.

"You... will not... take Tirtouga!" I cried. My eyes flared.

Tirtouga looked at me with awe. It let out a cry and a glowing blue light enveloped its body.

"Tirtouga... it's evolving!" Cilan cried.

I gasped as Tirtouga rapidly grew. The ropes of the net tensed and snapped and I hovered six feet in the air. The light dispersed and Tirtouga evolved into Carracosta, and I sat on its shoulder. It let out a roar.

"Tirtouga! You evolved!" I said. Carracosta looked at me and smiled. I hopped off its shoulder. "Alright, Carracosta, let's do this together."

Carracosta attacked with Hydro Pump and I attacked with Hyper Beam. Team Rocket dodged. Carracosta froze suddenly.

"What's wrong, Carracosta?" Ash said.

Carracosta turned and took off into the forest. We started after it, but Yamask used Haze and the area filled with black fog.

"The space time warp is expanding!" I heard Dr. Zager chuckle. "You must capture Carracosta at once!"

I heard Team Rocket fly away.

"Oh, no, they don't!" I cried. I called out Articuno and hopped on her back. We flew down the forest path.

* * *

><p>~THIRD PERSON POV~<p>

Team Rocket followed Carracosta back to Twist Mountain.

"It appears that Carracosta came back here." James said.

"There's a reason..." Jessie said, crossing her arms. "So why?"

"Aw, who cares?" Meowth said. "We got Carracosta right where we want 'em, so let's just snag it already!"

* * *

><p>~RYLEE~<p>

Arriving at the Twist Mountain entrance, a familiar yellow jeep stopped right in front of me, blocking the path. The door opened and my friends piled out.

"Guys, Carracosta will get hurt if I don't hurry!" I said.

"Rylee, stop." Ash said. "We can help Carracosta, together."

"Ash is right." Iris said. "I know that you've got your powers and all, but sometimes it's just as good to have your friends alongside you in your battles."

"We'll always be there for you, but you need to _let_ us be there for you." Cilan said.

I bowed my head in shame. "I'm sorry." I said. "But ever since I met my father and found out who I was, things have been taking a turn for the crazy. I don't mean to..."

The yellow jeep pulled away, opening the mountain pathway. Cilan reached out his hand to me. I gazed at my friends and smiled.

"You're right." I said. "We'll do this together."

I took Cilan's hand and we climbed onto Articuno's back. Ash called out Unfezant and Sierra and Ferris climbed on its back. They carried us into the cave.

"I bet that Carracosta went back to Twist Mountain to see its friends." Ferris said. "It must've heard them through the time gate. That must be why it took off!"

"Isn't that like what happened to you, Ferris?" Sierra said. "You heard us calling for you when you were in the past, correct?"

"Yes!"

Sierra guided Unfezant through the cave and we followed. The cry of Carracosta pierced into my mind. I grasped my head.

"Rylee, what's wrong?" Ash said.

"Carracosta's in danger! We're getting close." I said. "Team Rocket must've captured it and they've started using its life force to keep the time gate open!"

"Then we need to hurry!" Cilan said.

As we entered the room, we saw Team Rocket heading towards the time gate.

"Stop right there, Team Rocket!" Ash said. "There's no way we'll let you go in there and steal ancient Pokémon!"

"There's no way that we'll let you get in our way!" Jessie said.

Jessie and James called out Yamask and Woobat.

"Fine, if that's how you want it, we'll fight back!" Cilan said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a PokéBall. "Iris, Rylee, you go and help Carracosta!"

"Right!" Iris and I said.

We went over to Carracosta. Iris had Axew break away the cuffs on its hands and ankles with Scratch. Carracosta stood up, but it was too weak to move. Ferris kept it steady, but it insisted on moving towards the time gate.

"Carracosta, we're friends, remember?" Ferris said.

Carracosta looked at Ferris for a few moments before smiling. Yamask and Woobat attacked Pansage and Pikachu, sending them back to the ground.

"Foolish twerps. Now make like a tree and leave!" Jessie said.

Ferris glared at Team Rocket. "How dare they invade your world... a world where ancient Pokémon live in peace and harmony." he said. "What you have done is unforgivable!"

Carracosta rose and bellowed a long and loud cry. When it finished, we heard three more roars answer back. We turned to the time gate to see three more Carracosta running towards us.

"Perfect!" James said. "That just makes it easier for us!"

James threw a box at the Carracosta and an energy field surrounded them.

"You're on a one-way ticket to Team Rocket!" Jessie said.

"No!" I cried. "We promised Carracosta that we would protect it, and we are keeping that promise!"

Woobat and Yamask attacked. Pansage and Pikachu attacked as well, canceling out the moves. Carracosta let out a cry and its friends responded.

"_Rylee, help me._" Carracosta said.

"Right." I said. "We'll do this together."

The four Carracosta and I used AncientPower on the energy field and destroyed it. Pikachu launched an Electro Ball at Team Rocket. It exploded, and when the smoke and dust subsided, Team Rocket was gone.

"At least the Carracosta are safe." Iris said.

* * *

><p>We entered the time warp into the past. We gazed at the awesome view. We even saw some Archeops fly by. After a while, the time gate was starting to close, so we said goodbye to Carracosta and returned to the present. The time gate closed.<p>

"The ancient world is safe." I said. "Team Rocket can't try and take advantage of it anymore."

"Hey, Rylee," Iris said. "do you think maybe you should try talking to your dad again?"

"Well... I don't know."

"It might take a while to fully open up to you about your past, but you should know that he'll always be there for you." Cilan said. "This is going to take some time."

I nodded. "Maybe I'll visit him soon." I said. "I can't wait to tell him I went back in time!"


	8. Igniting the Flames of Old

It was starting to get dark, so we stopped to stay the night at Don George's Battle Club in Abtilbe Town.

"I'm so tired, I could sleep for days!" Iris yawned.

"What we need is a good night's sleep, and then it's on to Icirrus City!" Ash said.

As we walked, we heard the sound of cheering. We followed the voices to a battlefield, where a double battle took place. One boy had a Watchog and Mienshao and the other boy had a Heatmor and Emboar. In the end, the latter boy, named Shamus, won, calling his Pokémon "The Fire Warriors".

"Wow, that Shamus guy sure is strong." Ash said when we left the field.

As we turned the corner, we saw Shamus talking with the trainer he battle against.

"You promised I could have whatever Pokémon I wanted." Shamus said.

"But Shamus..." the trainer said.

"You didn't think I'd battle you for free, did you? Now let me see your Pokémon!"

"Why, that little-!" Iris said. She marched over to Shamus and the rest of us followed. "Hey you! Just because he lost to you, doesn't mean that gives you the right to take one of his Pokémon!"

"You lay off!" Shamus said. "This is none of your business, so butt out!" Shamus walked away.

"Are you okay?" Iris asked the other trainer.

"Yeah, thanks." the boy said.

"Why would you want to have a battle with him in the first place?" I said.

"The truth is, I really didn't want to battle with Shamus. But he's always said that he wanted to get his hands on Pokémon with potential."

"What's that all about?!" Ash said. "That's not how battles are supposed to be."

* * *

><p>At dinnertime, we seated ourselves at a table and ate our food. Our Pokémon chowed down on their food. I watched Tepig turn around and gaze at Shamus, who sat alone and across the room. He ran over to Shamus and yipped happily at it.<p>

"What's Tepig doing?" Ash said. Ash attempted to call Tepig back over, but Tepig didn't listen and remained at Shamus's side.

"Tepig really seems to have taken a liking to Shamus." Cilan said.

Iris had an epiphany and gasped. "Ash, remember when Tepig was abandoned by its original trainer?" she said.

"It was?!" Cilan and I said.

Ash gasped. "That's right!" he said. He looked over at Tepig. "Could Shamus... be that guy?"

Iris slammed her hand against the table. "It's as clear as the hair on my head!"

We walked over to Shamus. "What do you clowns want this time?" he said.

"I think that my Tepig might be the same Pokémon that you abandoned back in Accumula Town." Ash said.

"Really?" Shamus looked at Tepig and chuckled. "Lucky for you. This dude gave you a break."

"You can't just throw away a Pokémon like that!" Iris cried.

"I do what I want." Shamus said nonchalantly. "It just felt right at the time."

I scoffed and slammed my hands on the table. "How dare you say that!" I said. "Pokémon are not toys that you can just throw away when you get bored with them! It's lousy people like you that make me sick!"

Shamus smirked. "I don't have time to listen to you." he said. "Why don't you go and complain to your diary?"

I growled and raised my hand, ready to literally smack some sense into this boy, but Cilan reached out and grabbed my wrist.

"Now let's just _relax_!" he said. "It's JUDGEMENT TIME!"

"Who's this yo-yo?" Shamus said.

"I'm no yo-yo!" Cilan said. "In fact, I happen to be a Judge Connoisseur!"

"Please, you've got this all wrong. I left Tepig for its own good. Forcing a weak Pokémon into battle is by far cruel."

"That's a lie!" Ash said.

"Look, once I finally discovered that this Pokémon was totally useless, I knew that it would be better set free."

"Then why was Tepig tied up when we found it?!" Iris said.

"The truth is, I did set Tepig free, but it still followed me anyway." Shamus said. "I already told you, I can't use a Pokémon who can't battle."

"You can't decide that, especially when a Pokémon is so young!" I said. "Not only are you a horrible trainer, your sense of judgment is totally inadequate!"

"I see your points." Cilan said. "So how do we decide who is clearly right?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Don George stepped up to us. "Well, this is a Pokémon Battle Club." he said. "I saw that we settle this with a battle."

"Sounds good to me." Shamus said smugly. "We'll make is a Double Battle. That is, if you think your unevolved Tepig is a match for my Fire Warriors."

"You're on!" Ash said. "And when we win, you have to apologize to Tepig!"

"Ash, I want one of my Pokémon to battle with you." I said. "It's my job to stand up for Pokémon in this world, and I won't stand people like Shamus thinking they can use them like tools. I want to teach that jerk a lesson."

Ash smiled and nodded.

"Then it's decided!" Don George said. "Your Double Battle will take place first thing tomorrow morning!"

Ash and Shamus locked eyes. "I'll show you what a big mistake you made!" Ash said.

"Wrong." Shamus said. "I'll show you what a _huge_ mistake you've made."

* * *

><p><em>I wonder what Shamus did to Tepig. Ash said it was tied up when he found it. Maybe I can tap into Tepig's memories...<em>

I closed my eyes and images flowed into my mind.

* * *

><p><em>I saw Shamus pull out a PokéBall and call out Tepig.<em>

_"You're unsuited for battle." he said. "Go. You're free now."_

_Shamus turned around and walked away, but Tepig ran after him._

_"Please stop. Come on." Shamus said. Tepig refused to listen, so Shamus tied Tepig to a post. "I can't take you with me. It just wouldn't work. Goodbye."_

_Shamus walked away. Tepig tried to run after him, but the rope tied around his neck prevented him from moving more than three feet. He called after Shamus, tears streaming down his face._

Wow, Shamus actually looks upset from letting Tepig go...

_Then, I saw him turn the corner with a smirk on his face._

_"That's a relief." he said, casually stretching his arms. "Who needs a little runt of a Pokémon anyways? It's time to find a Tepig with at least a little talent."_

* * *

><p>The images vanished and I clenched my fists.<p>

_Why, that little..._

"Hey, Rylee." Ash said. "What Pokémon are you gonna let me use for the battle tomorrow?"

"If we were to look at types, I'd say Zorua would be the best option." Cilan said.

"There is another Pokémon that Ash can use." I said, standing up. "Me."

"Huh?!" everyone said.

"I'm going to battle alongside Tepig against Heatmor and Emboar. As Celebi." I said.

"How will you do that? Shamus doesn't know about your powers." Iris said.

"That's where Zorua comes in. She'll be me. We'll just have to make sure no one will see her tail." I chuckled.

"That's... actually a good idea." Cilan said.

"I don't know..." Ash said.

"Ash, think about Tepig. What Shamus did was horrible and wrong, and he needs some serious sense slapped into him." I said. "Please. Do it for Tepig. Do it for all the other Pokémon Shamus abandoned."

Ash smiled and nodded. "Okay." he said.

* * *

><p>~THIRD PERSON POV~<p>

The next morning, Ash and Shamus stood on opposite ends of the battlefield with Iris and Cilan standing on the side.

"So where's Little Miss Sasstalk?" Shamus said. "Did she get scared and chicken out?"

"Of course not!" Ash said. "And her name is Rylee!"

The door opened and Rylee walked in. She quietly walked to Ash, handed him a PokéBall, and walked over to stand next to Iris and Cilan.

"Um... is this Rylee or Zorua?" Iris asked.

"Rylee" turned to Iris, revealing her chocolate brown eyes and little tail poking out from her tailbone. She grinned, revealing small canine teeth. Iris whimpered in surprise.

"I'll take that as Zorua." Cilan said. Zorua covered her mouth and giggled.

"Let the Double Battle commence!" Don George said. "Begin!"

"Alright, Rylee, let's do this." Ash said quietly to the PokéBall. "Tepig! Celebi! I choose you!"

Ash threw two PokéBall into the air and Tepig and Celebi came out.

"How was Rylee able to go into a PokéBall?" Iris said.

"_She is a Pokémon. I used a special PokéBall that dissolves after the Pokémon inside comes out." _Zorua said, speaking telepathically but moving her mouth as if she were speaking. "_But you don't even want to know the trouble it took to get her in there."_

"A Celebi? Wow, I'm impressed. But let's see if my impression continues after this." Shamus said. "It's showtime, Fire Warriors! Emboar! Heatmor!"

"Alright, let's go, Tepig and Rylee...'s Celebi!" Iris cried.

"_Nice save._" Zorua said.

"Let's start this off! Celebi, use AncientPower on Emboar!"

Celebi launched a ball of power at Emboar.

"Emboar, move!" Emboar, using its arm, took hold of the AncientPower and threw it behind it.

"Tepig, use Flamethrower on Heatmor!"

Tepig was about to attack, but then it gazed at Shamus and let out a depressed sigh.

"Emboar, use Hammer Arm!"

Emboar charged at Tepig and clotheslined him.

"Tepig, are you okay?!" Ash said.

"What's wrong with Tepig?" Iris said.

Ash crouched down to Tepig. "I understand. You can't forget about him, can you?" Tepig nodded.

"What a riot!" Shamus let out a laugh.

"What are you talking about?"

"Whenever I abandon a Pokémon, I always make it think I'm _so_ upset. If not, they'll always come running back." Shamus smirked. "All you have to do is have a Pokémon see a few tears to convince them that you really care, and they'll let you go."

Tepig cried out in shock and collapsed into a puddle of despair.

"Tepig!" Ash and Celebi rushed to his side and urged him to stand, but he refused. Ash glared at Shamus with clenched fists. "You call yourself a trainer?!"

Shamus chuckled. "Say what you want, but power is where it's really at." he said. "Of course I'm going to look for a Pokémon with _a little_ bit of skill."

Ash growled. "I've had it!"

_"Tepig, please get up!" _Celebi said.

_"Why? There's no point..."_ Tepig said.

_"Don't say that!"_

"Celebi, you'll have to cover for Tepig." Ash said. "Think you can handle it?"

Celebi nodded. _"As long as I get to pummel that jerk."_

"Alright then. Celebi, use Hyper Beam on Emboar!"

The attack hit, and Emboar staggered around the battlefield, confused.

"Heatmor, use Fury Swipes on Emboar!"

"Huh? Why would it attack its own teammate?" Ash said quietly.

Heatmor attacked Emboar and he snapped out of confusion. Celebi gulped.

"Now, Emboar, Flamethrower! Heatmor, Fire Spin!"

"Both of you, dodge!"

Celebi flew out of the way, but Tepig was too depressed to move. The attacks hit him and he went flying across the field.

_"Tepig, snap out of it!"_ Celebi said.

"Let's focus on Celebi." Shamus said. Celebi's eyes widened. "Heatmor, use Fury Swipes!"

Heatmor's claws extracted and it leaped towards Celebi. It swiped twice before she fell to the ground.

"Emboar, use Heat Crash!"

Emboar jumped in the air and surrounded itself with fire. It came barreling down and crashed into Celebi, ending with it sitting on her.

_"Get off me, you big campfire!"_ Celebi cried.

"Oh no, Celebi!" Iris said.

"This battle might be wrapping itself up soon." Cilan said, resting his chin in his hand.

Emboar stood up and returned to Heatmor's side.

"Celebi, are you okay?" Ash said.

Celebi struggled to her feet. Her eyes flared as she shot a glare at Tepig. _"Tepig, you better get your act together, or so help me...!"_

Tepig gawked at Celebi in surprise. Finally, it scowled and nodded.

"Alright, Tepig! Use Flame Charge!"

Tepig stomped at the ground and created a dust cloud. It lunged at Heatmor and Emboar, covered in a veil of fire, and smashed into them.

"Ha! See, I told you that you were wrong about Tepig!" Ash said.

"I'll admit, you did well with raising it, but that ain't enough to make it to the top." Shamus said. "Emboar, finish this with Flare Blitz! Heatmor, finish this with Fire Spin!"

Emboar zoomed at Tepig in a blast of blue fire with the Fire Spin swirling around it. Ash called for Tepig to move, but he was frozen with terror.

_"Tepig!"_ Celebi ran forward and shoved Tepig out of the way. There was an explosion, and when the smoke subsided, Celebi laid there, unconscious.

"Celebi!" Ash cried.

"Celebi is no longer able to battle!" Don George said.

Ash picked up Celebi. "Thanks, Rylee." he said quietly. "You did awesome."

"_Thanks._" Celebi said. "_But that really hurt._"

She glared at Tepig. Ash handed Celebi over to Zorua.

"You were really great out there, Rylee!" Iris said.

"_Thanks._" Celebi said. "_I just hope that Tepig can handle Heatmor and Emboar._"

Tepig snorted confidently and let out a cry. Suddenly, it was surrounded by a glowing blue light. We all gasped.

"Tepig is evolving!" Cilan said.

Tepig evolved into Pignite. Shamus looked surprised, but he quickly regained his composure and smirked. "Even after evolving, your Pignite is no match for my Emboar." he said.

"I see Pignite's learned a new move." Ash said. "Let's test it out, shall we? Use Fire Pledge!"

Pignite let out a cry and pounded its fist against the ground. Pillars of fire erupted from the ground and around Heatmor and Emboar, then they were blasted by a large pillar of fire.

"Finish this with Flame Charge!"

Pignite charged and landed its attack. Heatmor and Emboar fell to the ground, both unconscious.

"Emboar and Heatmor are unable to battle!" Don George said. "Which means that Ash, Tepig, and Celebi are the winners!"

"We did it!" Ash cried.

"All right, Pignite!" Iris cried.

"Now that was quite a battle!" Cilan said. "And with that, I have reached a verdict. It's as clear as spring water who was right!"

"While_ everyone else realized who was right YESTERDAY._" Celebi rolled her eyes.

Shamus returned his Pokémon to their PokéBalls. With a scowl, he walked over to Ash.

"You still got a problem, Shamus?" Ash said.

"Oh, no... you won the battle after all, fair and square." Shamus said, sarcasm leaking into his smile. "Sorry, Pignite. I was wrong when I said you didn't have potential, but not I see you do!"

"Huh?"

"Hey, I know! Since you haven't been able to forget me after all this time, why don't you come back to the team?" Shamus said. "We'll be awesome. Give up this loser of a trainer and come with me! We'll reach the top together! What do you say?"

"_Pignite can't seriously trust that guy after what he did to it._" Celebi said.

Pignite turned to Shamus and blew fire into his face. Zorua covered her mouth to keep her laughter in. Shamus growled.

"Fine, whatever! I was never really interested in taking you back anyways!" Shamus said. "What I really want is that Celebi!"

"_Huh_?" Zorua said.

"What do you say, Rylee?" Shamus said to Zorua. "I'll trade you any of my Pokémon for that Celebi."

"Sorry..." Iris said. "But I don't think Celebi's going to be traded anytime soon."

"Huh?"

Zorua giggled and transformed back into her Pokémon self.

"What the-?!"

Celebi's eyes flashed and she transformed back into Rylee. Shamus gawked at her. She glared at him with flared eyes.

"Boo." she said.

Shamus screamed and ran away. Iris and Rylee laughed.


	9. A Clash of the Classiest of Connoiseurs

We made it to Icirrus City, where Ash defeated Brycen, the gym leader, and received his 7th gym badge. We decided to head to Opelucid City, but Nurse Joy informed us that it was closed. Ash was devastated by the news, but Iris seemed relieved for reasons unknown to me. Suddenly, a limousine pulled up beside us. A servant wearing a suit came out and bowed.

"Pardon me, but are you the A-Class Pokémon Connoisseur Cilan?" he said to Ash.

"Me?! Uh, no. Sorry." Ash said. He patted his hand on Cilan's shoulder and pointed at him. "This is him."

The servant looked at Cilan and he grew nervous. "Right! That's me! Can I help you?"

The servant picked up Cilan bridal-style. "I'm sorry, but you have an urgent invitation from Mr. Hatterly."

"A what? From who?"

The servant threw Cilan into the back seat of the limousine.

"Hey, you can't just do that!" I said.

"You're _all_ invited." one by one, the servant threw us into the limousine and drove off.

"I mean, I've always wanted to ride in a limo, but not like this!" Iris grumbled.

We untangled ourselves and sat down.

"Will you _please_ tell me what this is all about?" Cilan said.

"A man in Stonesthrow Town is requesting the assistance of an A-Class Connoisseur. His name is Mr. Hatterly." the servant said. "He requested you."

"But why?"

"You can ask Mr. Hatterly himself when you meet him."

Cilan turned to us. "What do you think?"

"It's fine with me." Ash said.

"Me too." Iris said.

"It's a change of pace, but it could be interesting." I said.

As the limo drove up to the gates of Mr. Hatterly's mansion, we saw Burgundy standing there, yelling at it.

"I demand you let me in! _Do it or else_!" she cried, kicking at the gate.

Cilan rolled down the window and poked his head out. "Burgundy, what are you doing here?"

Burgundy approached the window and peered inside with a scowl. "Because someone requested the help of a skilled connoisseuse, but they won't let me in!"

"My apologies, but Mr. Hatterly specifically requested the help of an A-Class Connoisseur." the servant said, whose presence frightened Burgundy.

"Yeah, aren't you like F-Class or something?" I said.

Burgundy growled while Zorua giggled in my lap. "C-CLASS! And what's so bad about that?!" she shrieked.

"I'm sorry, but C-class won't suffice." the servant said.

Burgundy's face grew red. "Why, I never!" she said.

The limo drove through the gates. Burgundy tried to run after us, but the gates closed on her. We walked in through the front door and after taking a few steps inside, the lights went out. A few spotlights turned on and shone on Cilan. He shielded his eyes with his arm.

"First off, Cilan, I want to thank you for taking the time to be here." the servant said. "Next, I would like to introduce you to another A-Class Connoisseur: Ricard Nouveau."

More spotlights turned on, creating a path, and the last one shone on another man with blonde hair and a light blue suit.

"Aha! 'Tis I, Ricard Nouveau!" Ricard said, bowing. "A-Class Pokémon Connoisseurs are quite special. They must be smart, observant, quite expressive, and physically fit. Only those recognized by the Pokémon Connoisseur Association receive this high honor."

Ricard sashayed over to Cilan.

"Oh. My. Gosh." I said.

"And I thought Cilan could get on my nerves occasionally, but this guy..." Iris said.

"_He walks like Alyssa._" Zorua said. A laugh burst from my mouth, and I had to quickly cover my mouth.

"You must be Cilan." Ricard said. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Thank you!" Cilan said. They shook hands.

"I hear that you are quite skilled for such a young Connoisseur." Ricard bent down and smelled Cilan's hand.

"What is he, a dog?" I mumbled.

"...But now that I've met you, I'm afraid you reek of inexperience." Ricard said.

Cilan scowled and yanked his hand away.

"Mr. Hatterly has now arrived." the servant said as the lights came on. At the top of the staircase was a man with maroon hair, wearing an orange sweater vest and gray trousers. Clinging to his leg was a little girl with pink, curly hair, big eyes, and she wore a yellow dress.

"Hello! I welcome you all to my home!" Mr. Hatterly said. "Greetings, Ricard and Cilan."

Ricard bowed. "I thank you for the invitation-"

"Pardon me, but I would like to know why we are here in the first place." Cilan said.

Mr. Hatterly laughed. "I'm sorry, that slipped my mind." he said. "The reason I invited you here is because of Marigold, my daughter."

Marigold, the little girl, bowed quickly and shyly hid behind her father. The curtains opened, revealing a beautiful and spacious garden. We went outside.

"I'm thinking about letting Marigold have her very first Pokémon." Mr. Hatterly said. "But since this is my daughter we're talking about, she needs to have an exceptional Pokémon worthy to be her first partner."

"_That's_ why you invited us?" Cilan said.

"Right!" Mr. Hatterly said.

"Consider the job done!" Ricard said.

"Hold on just a minute!" Cilan said. "It is true that helping to raise a recommend a Pokémon is our duty as Pokémon Connoisseurs, but first, we must get to know our client. May I ask Marigold a few questions?"

"Sure, go on ahead." Mr. Hatterly said.

Cilan crouched down on one knee to Marigold's level. "Would you mind telling me which Pokémon you play with here at the garden?"

Marigold whimpered and hid behind her father. "Marigold is friends with ALL of the garden's Pokémon." Mr. Hatterly said.

"HA! Please, how naive can you get!" a raspy voice cried. "You're about as clueless as a birthday present without wrapping paper or ribbons!"

A man popped out of a bush with gray, curly hair, a mustache, and purple eyes. The servant grabbed the old man.

"How dare you trespass on Mr. Hatterly's property without permission!" he said.

"I _demand_ you let go of me before I call the authorities!" the old man said. "The name is Fauxgundy. That's right, the legendary S-Class Pokémon Connoisseur!"

"Huh?" Ricard and Cilan said.

"Legendary S-Class Connoisseur?" Ash and Iris said.

"Oh, brother..." I crossed my arms.

"Here is my proof!" Fauxgundy proudly showed an S-Class badge. "Now, BACK OFF!"

The servant let Fauxgundy go and he stroked his mustache.

"Fauxgundy, I demand you explain why you called me naive!" Cilan said.

"Because picking a Pokémon by only asking questions IS naive!" Fauxgundy said, getting in Cilan's face.

"Oh, yeah? Then how would you do it?"

Fauxgundy approached Marigold. "A moment with the young miss." he said. He began smelling Marigold. After a few moments, she screamed and Mr. Hatterly scooped her away in his arms.

"_What _are you doing?!" he said.

Fauxgundy stood up and walked around the garden, smelling each of the Pokémon. He picked up a Lillipup and brought it over.

"I smelled the distinctive scent of your daughter's shampoo on his Lillipup." Fauxgundy said. "Therefore, I have no doubt that this Lillipup is your daughter's favorite Pokémon!"

Marigold's face drooped.

"I wouldn't be so sure..." Cilan said. He crossed his arms. "Your deductive reasoning may be a bit flawed."

"Excuse me?!" Fauxgundy said.

"To be honest, I did accidentally use Marigold's shampoo when I was washing Lillipup the other day..." Mr. Hatterly said.

"HUH?!"

Ricard and Cilan turned to Fauxgundy. "You know, I pride myself in being knowledgeable about all Pokémon Connoisseurs, but I've _never_ heard of you..." Cilan said.

"Uh..." Fauxgundy turned away. "I because a S-Class Connoisseur long before you two were even born!"

"That's strange, I didn't even think there was a Connoisseur Association back then." Ricard said.

"Can you show us your badge one more time?" Cilan said.

"Okay, I've had enough." I said. "Zorua?"

Zorua jumped from my shoulder and snatched Fauxgundy's badge from his pocket.

"Hey! You give that back right now!" Fauxgundy cried.

Zorua returned to her seat on my shoulder and handed me the badge.

"Let's see..." I said, feeling the surface of the badge. My fingers detected the tiniest, unusual bump. "Aha!"

I peeled off the S-Class seal, it being only a sticker, and showed everyone a C-Class badge.

"You forged that badge to make it look like a S-Class one!" Ricard said.

"GIVE THAT BACK!" Fauxgundy cried. He ran up the stairs towards me.

"Okay." I threw the badge over the terrace. Fauxgundy leaped after it and crashed to the ground. The gray hair and mustache flew off, revealing a familiar girl with purple hair.

"Burgundy!" Cilan said.

"Oh, no!" Burgundy cried.

The servant came and dragged Burgundy away.

"I'm afraid a C-Class Connoisseur won't suffice." Mr. Hatterly said. "I say we stick with A-Class for this."

"I still have a few more questions." Cilan said.

"Pish posh, question time is over!" Ricard said. "It's now EVALUATION TIME!"

I buried my face in my hands.

"Great. They all do that." Iris said.

"A lovely and gracious lady like Marigold needs to be matched with a similarly lovely Pokémon. With that in mind, let's have a look here." Ricard observed all the Pokémon. He walked over and picked up a snoozing Petilil. "Not only do Grass-types like Petilil possess a graceful poise with adorable looks, they have potential to evolve into a most glamorous Pokémon."

I glanced at Marigold, who looked disappointed.

"What do you think, Cilan?" Mr. Hatterly said.

"My idea is that Marigold's Pokémon isn't Lillipup or Petilil!" Cilan said. Marigold sighed in relief and Ricard scowled.

"So which Pokémon is it?" Ricard said.

"I'm still not sure..."

"I think you're only interested in disagreeing with me!"

"That's not true!"

"Hold on a minute!" Mr. Hatterly said. "I suggest that you have a Pokémon battle to settle this. Whoever wins gets to decide which Pokémon becomes Marigold's first."

"An excellent idea." Ricard said.

"I agree!" Cilan said.

"There's a battlefield out back. Now we can truly see what you A-Class Connoisseurs are made of!" Mr. Hatterly chuckled.

Mr. Hatterly, Marigold, and Ricard walked to the battlefield. I approached Cilan.

"Do you have any idea what Marigold's favorite Pokémon could be?" I said.

"Well, when I spoke to Marigold, I caught hold of the scent of a Pokémon. I recognize the smell, but I can't recall what it's from. I know it was of a Grass-type Pokémon." Cilan said.

"Well, looking around here, the only Grass-types around here are Petilil, Deerling, Sewaddle, and Whimsicott."

"Yes. But Deerling is a Grass- and Normal-type, Sewaddle is a Grass- and Bug-type, and Whimsicott and Petilil are regular Grass-types. None of them match." Cilan crossed his arms. "Something's not adding up... the scent I picked up was much more stimulating."

Cilan sniffed the air and his eyes perked up.

"There it is again! Where is it coming from?!"

Cilan got down on his hands and knees and crawled around, sniffing the ground.

"And I thought Burgundy doing that was ridiculous." I said.

I followed Cilan until he rammed his head into the swing of Marigold's play set. He examined the seat, which had glittery dust on it. He picked some up with his finger and smell it.

"I've got it!" Cilan said, standing up. "I know what Marigold's favorite Pokémon is!"

"Cilan!" Ash and Iris came running over. "Your battle's about to start!"

"But now that you're both here, I need you two to do something for me." Cilan said. "Rylee, will you come and watch the battle?"

"Sure!" I said.

* * *

><p>Ricard and Cilan stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. Marigold, Mr. Hatterly and I sat canopied tables.<p>

"I believe Petilil would be a splendid Pokémon for you, so I'm hoping that Ricardo will win." Mr. Hatterly said to Marigold. She sighed. I approached her and knelt beside her.

"Don't worry, Marigold." I whispered. "Cilan knows what he's doing and he knows what Pokémon you'd really prefer."

Marigold looked at me in surprise, but then she smiled. I stood up and returned to my table.

"Now, battle begin!" the servant said.

Ricard brought out his Pokémon: a Purrloin.

"Uh oh." I said.

Cilan cried out. "Not a Purrloin!"

"Oh, is something wrong?" Ricard smirked.

"No, everything is fine..." Cilan said, his voice cracking every other syllable.

"You're not afraid of a _Purrloin_, are you?"

"_He's trying to psych him out._" Zorua said. "_And it's working._"

"Cilan, don't let Ricard get to you!" I said. "Remember, this is for Marigold!"

Cilan looked to me and nodded. He took a deep breath and called out Crustle.

"Using a Rock- and Bug-type against my Dark-type Pokémon?" Ricard said. "How utterly straightforward of you."

"Thank you." Cilan said. "Now, Crustle, use X-Scissor!"

Crustle lunged at Purrloin, but it dodged.

"My Purrloin's speed surpasses even that of its evolved form, Liepard! Sand-attack!" Purrloin swiped dirt up from the ground with its claws and it landed in Crustle's eyes. "Now, Fury Swipes!"

Purrloin kept its claws extracted and slashed at Crustle.

"It's true that your Crustle was a good pick, having been faithfully raised by you, however my evaluation tells me that you're BORING!" Ricard said. "An A-Class Pokémon Connoisseur must have a sparkling, unpredictable quality."

Cilan growled. "Crustle, use Shell Smash!"

Crustle leaped out of its shell.

"Purrloin, use Night Slash!"

Darkness collected around Purrloin's paw and it charged, but Crustle dodged at the last second with unbelievable speed.

"Huh?!"

"Use Rock Wrecker!" Crustle raised its pincers and a large boulder formed. It launched the rock and it hit Purrloin. Purrloin fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Purrloin is unable to battle!" the servant said. "The victory goes to Cilan."

I jumped from my seat and clapped. "Way to go, Cilan!"

Cilan smiled at me and returned Crustle to its PokéBall.

"Wonderful! That was a most excellent battle!" Mr. Hatterly said. "So, Cilan, have you decided what elegant Pokémon you're going to recommend to my Marigold?"

"Yes. Instead of choosing a Pokémon based on looks and style, I've chosen a Pokémon that's more importantly best suited for Marigold's personality!" Cilan said. He knelt down to Marigold's level. "I think Marigold has already made a strong connection with a certain Pokémon."

"Really?" Mr. Hatterly said.

"WHAT?!" Ricard said.

Marigold glanced at me. I smiled at her and nodded.

"I wasn't aware of this." Mr. Hatterly said. "Is it any of the garden Pokémon, Marigold?"

Marigold vigorously shook her head.

"No." Cilan said. "But the Pokémon best suited for Marigold is that one!"

Cilan pointed at Ash and Iris, who ran over to us. In Ash's arms was a Foongus. Marigold gasped in delight and ran over. Foongus jumped from Ash into Marigold's arms.

"All the options and she wants _that_?" Mr. Hatterly said.

"I really can't recommend that Pokémon from a fashion state of point." Ricard said.

"The scent I picked up from Marigold was of a Grass- and Poison- type Pokémon. However, none of the garden Pokémon matched that type combination." Cilan said. "That's when I realized Marigold must be playing with a different Pokémon altogether!"

"Marigold, is that true?" Mr. Hatterly said.

Marigold nodded. "When I was playing by myself on the swing set in the backyard, Foongus came and played with me! Ever since then, Foongus has always been my special friend." Marigold looked up at her dad with tears in her eyes. "But I couldn't tell you, Daddy, because I thought you wouldn't like it. I'm really sorry, Daddy!"

"Oh, Marigold. I'm sorry too." Mr. Hatterly said. "I promise that I'll be happy with whatever Pokémon you choose." They hugged each other.

"That's really sweet." Iris said.

"Yeah." I said.

"The bond between Marigold and Foongus was abundantly clear to you. You win today, Cilan." Ricard said. They shook hands. "But... the next time we meet, it'll be a whole different story."

"We'll just see about that, Ricard." Cilan said.

"Then I'll be looking forward to that day."

"Me too!"


	10. An Electrifying Mishap

"One little boat ride away until I get my 8th gym badge!" Ash said. "I'm so excited!"

As we headed for the ferry, a Vanilluxe passed us by. Iris saw it and whimpered.

"What's an Ice-type doing here?! Get it away from me!" she cried, clutching Axew to her chest.

Vanilluxe floated closely beside Iris and Axew. They trembled in fright.

"Vanilluxe, return." a voice said. Vanilluxe returned to its PokéBall. We looked to see Georgia, Iris's rival. "What are the odds. My Vanilluxe wants to befriend a Dragon-type Pokémon."

"I guess that would be Axew." Iris said.

"Look, I only caught Vanilluxe so I could beat you, Little Miss Dragon Master." Georgia said, waving Vanilluxe's PokéBall in Iris's face.

Iris narrowed her eyes on Georgia. "But you already know that I'm not a Dragon Master yet."

"No duh! That's because you're still too weak."

"Not as weak as the little kid you are." Iris smirked.

"Go on, make jokes, but I don't have time for them. I'm on my way to Ferroseed Research."

"Why?"

"Because their moss improves a Pokémon's skills."

"That's intriguing." Cilan said.

"You bet. Toodles." Georgia turned and walked away.

"We should go check out Ferroseed Research too!" Ash said. "Maybe we can get some moss!"

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Ferroseed Research. My name is Case, one of Professor Malveaux's assistants." a worker with brown hair and pale green eyes said.<p>

"Nice to meet you." Georgia said. "I'm here because I heard that you have moss that can improve a Pokémon's skills."

"I want some of that too!" Ash said.

"Just when exactly did I say that you could come with me?!" Georgia snapped.

"You didn't. Oh well." Iris said.

"It's always nice to meet young people that are interested in our research!" Case said. "Let's head to the second floor."

We went up the elevator to the second floor. We passed by small rooms where Ferroseed clung to different kinds of rocks. Researchers stood nearby, holding clipboards and taking notes. A Ferroseed expelled one of its spikes. It shattered on the ground and yellow moss grew in that spot. Another room with Ferroseed had green moss growing on the floor. We went up to the third floor, where researchers tested the moss's abilities. We observed a room with Ferroseed clinging to stones from Chargestone Cave. We went up to the fourth floor, where researchers made moss to increase certain skills for certain types of Pokémon.

"Do you have any moss for Ice-types like Vanilluxe?" Georgia said. She brought out Vanilluxe, who immediately floated over to Iris and Axew. They screamed. Oshawott came out of its PokéBall and gawked at Vanilluxe.

"It's like Purrloin all over again." I said.

"At least Vanilluxe isn't a male." Cilan said and I laughed.

Axew jumped out of Iris's arms and ran down the hall with Vanilluxe and Oshawott following it.

"Axew, wait!" Iris called, chasing after the three.

"I'll go after Iris and the others." Ash said, running down the hall.

Suddenly, alarms blared through the intercoms and red lights flashed along the walls.

"It's the emergency alarm system from the third floor!" Case said.

Ash cried out. We looked to see blue moss slowly inching down the hallway. It crackled with electricity. Pikachu fell to the ground.

"Pikachu, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Ash said, picking up Pikachu. The moss advanced towards them.

"Ash, look out!" I cried.

I ran towards them and pulled them away. A tendril of moss shot out and slammed into my chest. I exclaimed as I flew back and hit the ground.

* * *

><p>~THIRD PERSON POV~<p>

"Rylee!" Cilan and Ash cried as Rylee hit the floor. They ran to her side. She was unconscious, but she twitched and trembled.

"This is a code red!" Case said. "We need to get to the underground control room!"

Cilan scooped Rylee into his arms bridal-style and they all followed Case and another worker to the control room.

* * *

><p>Ash laid Pikachu on a bench and Cilan sat Rylee next to it, propped up against the wall.<p>

"Hang in there, guys." Ash said.

"It came on so suddenly." Cilan said. "What could've done this?"

"The Ferroseed moss." a man with gray hair and a mustache wearing a brown suit walked into the room.

"Professor Malveaux!" Case said.

Malveaux walked over and felt Pikachu's head. "Pikachu has inhaled a large amount of moss spores. They're causing a reaction that has caused Pikachu to become sick." he said. He turned to Ash and Cilan. "What about the girl?"

"Rylee came over to help me and Pikachu when all of a sudden the moss attacked her." Ash said.

Malveaux knelt down and examined Rylee. "I see..." he said. He stood and looked at the screens. "So this moss is because of the Ferroseed that are using the stones from the Chargestone Cave. They must have also absorbed the power from the stones."

"What does that have to do with what happened to Rylee?" Ash said.

"When the moss came in contact with Rylee, it sent a large amount of electricity into her body that could power a small city." Malveaux said. "The impact caused her body to temporarily shut down. Fortunately, she survived such a fatal incident. It's quite rare. I've only seen Pokémon survive an attack like that."

Cilan and Ash shared a look.

"Pikachu needs a treatment given to it." Malveaux said. He gave Case a recipe. "As for Rylee, she seems to be functioning again. She is simply in comatose, though I believe it will not last long. We'll just have to be patient."

"We inhaled the moss spores as well." Cilan said. "Are we at risk as well?"

"And what about the other Pokémon?" Georgia said. "My Vanilluxe is still upstairs!"

"Based on research, I don't think the spores have any effect on humans." Malveaux said. "Although, Pokémon are a different story..."

Malveaux received a call from the Pokémon Center.

"This is Nurse Joy." Nurse Joy's face appeared on the screen.

"Professor Malveaux here. It appears that a few of our Ferroseed have caused some serious trouble, and for that, I apologize." Malveaux said.

"So the trouble we've been having started at your research center? Pokémon have been lining up in extreme distress and need for our medical help. I suspected moss spores." Nurse Joy said. "But do you know why every Pokémon I've seen is either an Electric-type or Ground-type?"

"That explains Pikachu." Ash said.

"Thank goodness Vanilluxe is safe... for the time being." Georgia said, resting a hand on her heart.

* * *

><p>~RYLEE~<p>

I opened my eyes to a familiar dark area. I sat up and clutched my head. My ribs ached with each breath I took. I stood up and walked forward.

"Dad?"

He emerged from the shadows and smiled.

"Rylee. Hello."

"Hi. Look, Dad, I'm sorry that I pushed you too far the last time we talked." I said. "There's so much about my life and who I am that I don't understand. It hurts me that you know what I don't and you won't tell me anything."

"I'm sorry, kiddo." Dad said. "For forcing you out and keeping things from you. I promise you that one day, the truth will come to you."

"Thanks, Dad. And guess what? I can transform into my Pokémon form!"

"That's wonderful." Dad smiled.

"I have a question for you. What's a Pokémon Guardian?"

Dad's face both lit up and dimmed at the same time. He stretched out his hands and the darkness vanished. We stood on a desert plain. All around us, I saw men and women dressing in faded white armor. Pokémon of all different kinds stood at their side.

"Pokémon and man have lived together peacefully since the beginning of time." Dad said. "However, there are people that will try to take advantage of Pokémon and use them for their own evil purposes."

"Like Team Rocket." I said.

"Correct. However, there are many more evil organizations like Team Rocket in our world." Dad hesitated slightly. "Do you know of a group called Team Plasma?"

"No."

"Every region has a specific organization. In the Kanto region, it is Team Rocket. Here in Unova, it is Team Plasma. Their leader is a man name Ghetsis."

Dad waved his hand and a picture of Ghetsis appeared, with the Team Plasma emblem glowing behind him. Ghetsis was an older man with a red monocle over his eye and graying green hair. He wore a black cape with the Team Plasma emblem on it and he held a staff. Two grunts appeared next to him, covered in dark gray and black jumpsuits, black hats with the Team Plasma emblem on the front, and fabric covering their mouths. They both had red hair and blue eyes. When my eyes fell on the grunts, my brain ached and my heart filled with rage.

_It was them. They took him._

I was startled by my own subconscious voice.

_Who?_

I reached up and felt the bump of my necklace underneath my sweater.

"Is something wrong, Rylee?" Dad said.

"No, no." I said. "So, are Pokémon Guardians there to prevent organizations like Team Rocket and Team Plasma from doing really bad things?"

"That's one of our duties." Dad said. "We watch over both Pokémon and people, protecting them from danger. We are their voice."

"What do you mean, 'we'?"

Dad waved his hand and showed an image of a young man dressed in faded white armor with brown hair and special green eyes. Articuno stood next to him.

"Is that you?" I said.

Dad nodded. "People with special power and potential have the opportunity to become Pokémon Guardians. There are three ranks of Guardians; Pages, Squires and Knights." Dad said. "When you first started your personal pilgrimage, you received the title of a Page. When your powers are fully developed, you will receive the title of Squire. After that, you have the chance to train and become a Knight, the highest rank of a Pokémon Guardian, like me."

"Wow." I said. "I have another question."

"What?"

I took off my necklace and dangled it in the air for him to see. "The Legendary Trio of Milos Island gave me this necklace. They said there is only one other necklace like this in the world." I said. "Who has the other one?"

Dad smiled. "I believe the answer is in the necklace."

"Huh?"

I examined the necklace and saw a crease on the side. I tried to open it, but a tiny shield of Protect enveloped the necklace and shocked my hands.

"Ow." I hissed. The Protect disappeared.

"Sorry, but the contents are sealed." Dad said. "The only way to open the necklace is when it and its other partner necklace are united."

"Great. More cryptic messages." I rolled my eyes. Cilan and Ash's voices echoed in muffled cries around us.

"It's time for you to go back." Dad said. "Your friends are in trouble. Articuno will be of great help to you."

"Huh?"

* * *

><p>"Tell Officer Jenny to close off all the bridges!" Malveaux said. "We must contain the moss!"<p>

Case gave Pikachu the treatment.

"The moss is spreading! It'll reach the roof soon!" a worker said.

The screen switched to the roof, where it show Iris, Oshawott, Axew, and Vanilluxe.

"Iris! She's on the roof!" Cilan cried.

"What?!" Georgia and Ash jumped to their feet and stared at the screen.


	11. The Cooling Solution

~IRIS~

"Come on, guys, let's get off this roof and find the others." I said. The door opened, but on the other side, the area was covered in blue moss. It crackled with electricity. I cried out and smashed my finger against a button until the door closed. "What's going on?!"

"Iris!" I heard Cilan's voice. A video intercom turned on next to the door with Ash, Cilan, and Georgia on the other line. When I stepped up to the screen, I could see Pikachu and Rylee unconscious in the background.

"Cilan, what's going on?" I said.

"The moss from the third floor is rapidly growing and its out of control!" Cilan said. "It doesn't appear to effect humans in any way, but it's a totally different story for Electric- and Ground-type Pokémon."

Georgia shoved Cilan out of the way and inched her face extremely close to the camera. "If anything happens to my Vanilluxe, you'll be sorry!" she cried. "YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Uh huh." I said, rolling my eyes.

Oshawott screamed next to me. I looked to see the moss leaking through the door.

"Guys, get back!" We ran to the edge of the roof. I gasped when I saw the city below. Moss covered almost the entire area. "We've got to do something!"

I brought out Excadrill and Emolga.

"Excadrill, use Focus Blast! Emolga, Hidden Power!"

As they charged up to attack, the moss spores wafted in their faces. They fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Ah! Of course! A Ground-type and an Electric-type!" I said, thumping myself against the head. I returned Excadrill and Emolga back into their PokéBalls. The moss continued moving towards us.

* * *

><p>~TPPOV~<p>

The screen went black. "It must be the moss." one worker said. "What will we do?!"

"I have an idea." a voice said.

Cilan and Ash turned around. "Rylee!" they cried.

Rylee's eyes opened and she put her weight into her arms as she tried to stand. Cilan rushed over and helped her up.

"What are you talking about?" Ash said.

"The moss. It has a weakness: Ice-type moves." Rylee said.

"What? How could you know something like that?" Malveaux said.

"That's not important right now. The city is in danger and the moss needs to be stopped. I'm going to go and find Iris-"

Rylee took half a step and doubled over in pain. She clutched her torso and cried out.

"Rylee, don't. You're still hurt." Cilan said, resting a hand on her back.

"Don't worry, Cilan. I heal quickly." Rylee gave him a look. Cilan caught a glimpse of orange and pink and he understood.

"Notify Officer Jenny immediately!" Malveaux said.

"Oh no! The Ferroseed!" a worker said.

The Ferroseed causing the rogue moss slammed into each other and bounced off the walls.

"They absorbed too much electricity from the stones. They're in pain." Rylee said. "We need to transfer the electricity out of their bodies!"

"But how are we going to get to the third floor?" Case said. "We don't have any Ice-type Pokémon here at the laboratory."

"Yes, you do." Georgia said. She brought out Beartic and Rylee brought out Articuno.

Malveaux grabbed some containers. "Georgia and Rylee, will you assist me to the third floor?" he said.

"Of course." Georgia and Rylee said.

"Cilan, we'll keep an eye out for Iris." Rylee said. Cilan nodded.

"When Pikachu is feeling better, we'll join you." Ash said.

* * *

><p>~RYLEE~<p>

We traveled down the building to the third floor. Every spot of moss we came across was blasted by Beartic's Ice Beam and Articuno's Ice-type moves. We reached the third floor, where I could see the Ferroseed among a bunch of moss. Beartic and Articuno blasted it away, and on the other side of the room was Iris and Vanilluxe.

"Wow, for something who hates Ice-types, you're handling one pretty well." Georgia said.

Malveaux set up a machine and when he pressed a button, electric bonds reached out and wrapped around the Ferroseed. They slowly made their way to Malveaux and were inserted into the machine. Suddenly, the Ferroseed glowed as tremendous waves of electricity flew off their bodies.

"Get back!" Malveaux cried.

The Ferroseed ejected from the machine.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The Ferroseed are unable to control the electricity." Malveaux said. "We need to figure out how to drain it from them."

"Leave that to us!" Ash stepped in with Pikachu. Ash called out Pignite, who used Flamethrower on the Ferroseed. They fell to the ground. Ash returned Pignite to its PokéBall. "Okay, Pikachu! Go!"

Pikachu ran forward and touched its tail against on Ferroseed. The electricity absorbed into it. Cilan called out Stunfisk and it did the same. The Ferroseed returned to normal. Pikachu and Stunfisk released their stored energy up and out the window.

* * *

><p>"I must thank you all for your help." Malveaux said. "You helped to save my research facility."<p>

"Iris, have you ever considered becoming an Ice Master?" Georgia said. "You and my Vanilluxe sure were in perfect sync back there."

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I think I'll pass." Iris said.

Georgia chuckled. "Well, that's good. Or else, how would I be able to crush you if you're not a Dragon Master?"

Iris smirked. "We'll just see who gets crushed."


	12. Stepping into the Spotlight

We took a boat to Virbank City.

"If I beat the Virbank City gym, that'll be the last gym badge that I need!" Ash said. "Then I'll be able to enter the Unova league! I'm so psyched!"

"You're not the only one!" Cilan said. "Virbank City! Such zest, and I get to experience it first-hand! I can practically taste the passion and creativity!"

"You feeling alright?" I said.

Cilan chuckled slyly. "For a film connoisseur like myself, Virbank City is the place to be!" he said. I heard Iris sigh beside me. "Virbank City is home to scores of film studios! It is like the movie capital of the Unova region!"

Pikachu looked past Ash's shoulder and its jaw dropped. Ash looked over and cried out.

"It's... me!" he said.

We looked as well, and sure enough, there standing in front of us was another Ash. It giggled.

"Hey, I know who that is!" Iris said.

The other Ash jumped into the air and encased itself in a magenta light. Its body size shrunk and a Zorua landed on the ground and let out a mischievous giggle.

"Wow! Another Zorua!" I said.

Zorua stood in front of a boy with brown hair and blue eyes. He had a large camera on his shoulder and he filmed the view of the ocean.

"Hey, Luke!" Ash said. The boy turned around and smiled.

"Hey, guys!" Luke approached us. My Zorua jumped down from my shoulder and approached the other. "Wow, I've never seen another Zorua before! Is it yours?"

"Yes." I said. "My name's Rylee."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Luke!" Luke said. "So what are you guys doing here?"

"I'm going to challenge the Virbank gym!" Ash said. "What about you?"

"I was invited to a preview event before the premiere." Luke said.

"Preview event?" Cilan said. His eyes lit up. "You mean...?!"

"Yup!" Luke said and Cilan giggled with delight.

"I'm obviously missing something." I said. "What are you talking about?"

"They finally finished Pokéstar Studios." Luke said. "It's a theme park located on the studio lot."

"It's a place where you can get to see real film props and movie sets!" Cilan said. "They'll even let you make your own movie!"

"Remember the first movie we made? 'The Legend of the Pokémon Knight' got top honors at a film festival!"

"I guess that makes us movie stars!" Iris said.

"Now there's a movie I'd want to see." I said.

"Hey, since you're all here, how about you give me a hand?" Luke said. "Let's head to Pokéstar Studio."

"YOU MEAN WE CAN ACTUALLY GET IN?!" Cilan said.

"Yup!"

"But... what about my gym battle?" Ash said.

Cilan grabbed his shoulders and got really close to his face. "Ash! The gym isn't going anywhere!" he cried. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime! So, let's... go... NOW!"

Cilan grabbed Ash's wrist and dragged him away.

"Hey, Cilan-!" Ash cried.

Iris and I chuckled. "What a kid." Iris said. "He's about as excited as back in Nimbasa City with his trains."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to Pokéstar Studios!" Luke said.<p>

We saw the Pokémon Hall of Fame, posters from classic Pokémon films, and we went to a museum that displayed famous movie props.

"Alright then. Now that we've seen all the sights, let's get this competition going!" Luke said.

"Competition?" Ash said.

"Every aspiring director who's been invited to the premiere event today can enter the studio's film contest." Luke said.

"You're entering, aren't you?" Iris said.

"Of course!"

"I bet this is what you needed our help with." I said.

"Right again! What do you say?"

"Well, the thing is..." Ash said.

"I'll gladly do anything you tell me to!" Cilan cried.

"I'm in too!" Iris said.

"...Alright, count me in!" Ash said.

"What about you, Rylee?" Luke said.

"Hm... I don't know..." I said.

"You must!" Cilan said. "After all, this is-"

"An opportunity of a lifetime. I got it." I said. "Okay, why not. I'll do it."

* * *

><p>We ran into Mr. Gold, the president of Pokéstar Studios, then we went to the building where we could get our props. We had lunch and Luke showed us the plot of the movie through a storyboard. We ran into Luke's competing rival, a boy names Jules. After lunch, we headed back to the props building.<p>

"Alright, the cast is decided." Luke said, holding a clipboard. "Ash, Pikachu, and Pignite are the Unova Defense Force."

Ash, Pikachu, and Pignite were all dressed in identical red and black jumpsuits with white boots and white helmets.

"Awesome! I'm the lead again!" Ash said.

"Cilan is the evil alien villain that controls the Mecha-Tyranitar."

Cilan wore a black and gray suit, black boots, a long purple cape, and space-style sunglasses. He had a gem on his forehead and a scepter in his hand. His hair was spiked up.

"Villain? Great!" Cilan said. "Of course, the quality of an evil character can either make or break a film!"

"Iris, Axew, and my Zorua are Pokémon Island Princesses."

Axew and Iris were dressed in brown floor length ponchos decorated with red designs and blue beads. They wore circlets around their heads. Luke's Zorua transformed into another Iris.

"Princess? I like the sound of that!" Iris said.

"And finally, Rylee is the Pokémon goddess that gets kidnapped by the villain, with her Zorua as her guardian, Ninetales." Luke said. "Come on out, Rylee!"

"I'm not so sure about this..." I called from behind a shelf. "This feels so weird."

"Don't worry, this will be fun!" Iris said.

"Okay..."

I stepped out and into the view of everyone's widened eyes.

"Rylee... you look beautiful!" Iris said.

"Really?" I said, glancing down at my outfit. I wore a white one-shoulder, floor length Greek dress with a gold belt and gold along the strap. My hair was up in a fancy braided bun with a few hairs hanging down around my face. A gold circlet sat around my forehead. I fingered the locket hanging above Articuno's PokéBall. "Thanks."

"Hey, Cilan, could you also operate the Mecha-Tyranitar?" Luke said. There was a pause. "Cilan?"

We all looked at Cilan, but he remained silent. The sunglasses couldn't hide the conspicuous gaze he held on me. He looked awe-struck. Entranced, even. I looked away and blushed.

"Cilan!"

Cilan cleared his throat and tore his eyes away. "Huh? Oh, yeah, of course I can!" Cilan said. "After all, I've seen The Titanic Tyranitar ten times!"

"Alright. Now for the crew: Golett will be the Assistant Director and sound, the Leavannies will be costume and makeup, and I'll be the director as well as the cameraman!" Luke said. "Alright, everyone, let's do a great job and win Best Picture!"

"Yeah!" we all cheered and pumped our fists in the air.

* * *

><p>After a few days of filming, editing, and exhaustion, our movie was done and ready to be viewed. The Film Contest began the following morning. We arrived early and took our seats. We saw many films before ours, including Jules'. Finally, it was our turn. The lights dimmed.<p> 


	13. And The Oscar Goes To

A plane zoomed through the air. Inside was pilot Ash, Pikachu, and Pignite of the Unova Defense Force. As they flew, Ash cried out as he saw a large Tyranitar trudging through water, heading towards land.

"Unova Defense Force, over!" Ash said. "I'm tracking the giant Tyranitar!"

"You must keep it from reaching Pokémon Island!" a voice from the radio said.

"Roger! Engaging target!" Ash said. "Pikachu, Pignite, prepare to attack!"

The top of the jet opened and Pignite and Pikachu hopped onto the wings.

"Do it!"

Pignite and Pikachu attacked Tyranitar with Thunderbolt and Flamethrower. When the fire extinguished itself, the giant Pokémon revealed itself to be Mecha-Tyranitar. Mecha-Tyranitar unleashed a powerful laser. It hit one of the airplane's wings and it spiraled to the ground. As Ash and his Pokémon floated to the ground from their parachutes, a UFO appeared.

"It... can't be!" Ash said.

The scene changed to inside the UFO.

"Haha!" Cilan cackled. "All of the Pokémon on this island will soon belong to the Planet Cilanilon and me!"

"So he's the one controlling Mecha-Tyranitar!" Ash said.

Ash and his Pokémon landed in the forest and took off their parachutes.

"Are you okay?" Two voices said. Ash turned to see the Island Princesses, Axew, and Golett.

"I'm Ash from the Unova Defense Force." Ash said. "Mecha-Tyranitar's headed straight for this island. We must evacuate immediately!"

"No! I can't leave the Island Pokémon!" Iris said.

"But if you don't-"

"Golurk, the Titan, rests here!" Zorua, also as Iris, said. "The Pokémon Goddess is in danger!"

"Pokémon Goddess?"

"Yes. The Pokémon Goddess watches over all Pokémon. She has been kidnapped by the evil alien Cilan!" Iris said. "We must restore Golurk and save her!"

They walked through the forest and arrived at a giant statue of a Golurk.

"This is Golurk, the legendary Titan?" Ash said.

Meanwhile, the UFO and Mecha-Tyranitar moved from water to land.

"Every single Pokémon on this island shall belong to me!" Cilan said. "Resist and Mecha-Tyranitar shall unleash its fury!"

"You will not _dare_ hurt the Pokémon!" Rylee, the Pokémon Goddess, said, who sat on her knees with her arms bound to her sides by energy ropes.

"And who will stop me?" Cilan said. "You are powerless and will soon be subject to me!"

"My servants will do all in their power to free me! Then you'll see how powerless I am." Rylee growled. Her eyes flared purple.

Cilan cackled again. An energy ray shot out from the UFO and captured the island Pokémon.

"Oh no! The Pokémon!" Ash said.

"We must restore Golurk now!" Iris said.

"Yes." Zorua said. They prayed to the statue, but Mecha-Tyranitar launched a ball of fire at the statue and destroyed it. "Oh no!"

"Stop this at once!" Rylee said. "You monster! Let the Pokémon go!"

"Do not fret, Your Majesty, for soon you will be taken back to my planet." Cilan said. He walked over and knelt to her level. He gripped her chin in his hand and their faces were inches away. "Then we can begin planning the wedding."

Rylee's cheeks grew as red as tomatoes. "WEDDING?!" she cried. She pulled her head away. "You must be out of your mind to believe I would ever consider marrying _you_!"

Cilan smirked and walked away. A frightened look washed over Rylee's face and a droplet of sweat raced down the side of her face. She bowed her head, letting the loose hairs fall over her face, and closed her eyes.

_My princesses. Please help me..._

Her thoughtful pleas traveled into the minds of her servants.

"The Goddess! She needs our help!" the princesses cried.

Pikachu and Pignite attacked, but it did nothing to Mecha-Tyranitar. It shot lasers from its eyes at the princesses, but Golett stepped in the way and took the attack. It fell to the ground.

"Golett!" the princesses cried. They took its hands. "Golett, please stay with us!"

Golett's hand slipped from theirs and rested on the ground. Its eyes dimmed. Iris and Zorua both shed a single tear and they fell on Golett's forearm. Suddenly, Golett glowed blue and it floated up in the air. It evolved into Golurk and continued to grow until it was the size of Mecha-Tyranitar.

"It's the Titan of Legend, Golurk!" the princesses cried.

Golurk thrust its arms to the side and roared.

"Golurk." Rylee said, relief spreading into her smile.

"I don't care who that is!" Cilan growled. "You won't stand in our way!"

Mecha-Tyranitar swung its tail at Golurk, but Golurk caught it and pushed it to the ground. It used Mega Punch and destroyed Mecha-Tyranitar.

"How _dare_ you foil my plans!" Cilan called from the UFO. It sent a laser at Golurk, but it reached its hand out and blocked it. Golurk used Psychic to bring out the Island Pokémon.

"The Pokémon are safe!" Zorua said.

"But what about the Goddess?" Iris said.

Golurk spun rapidly like a top and launched itself into the UFO.

"I WON'T FORGET THIS!" Cilan cried. The UFO spun out of control in the air until is exploded. Through the smoke, the people on the ground detected something falling to the ground.

"Your Majesty!" Iris cried.

"The Pokémon Goddess!" Zorua said.

As Rylee fell, a shadow zoomed from the trees and leaped into the air. The princesses gasped.

"Ninetales!" they cried.

"Ninetales?" Ash said.

"The Goddess's Guardian Pokémon." Iris said.

Rylee fell onto the back of Ninetales. Ninetales landed on the ground with Rylee and they approached Ash and the princesses. Rylee climbed off Ninetales and stroked its mane.

"Rylee!" the princesses called.

Rylee turned to see the two girls running to her and she embraced them.

"My beloved servants... Thank you." she said.

Golurk restored the statue back to normal and reverted back to Golett.

"Golett, I am deeply grateful to you for saving me." Rylee said. She shifted her gaze to Ash. "Ash, I thank you as well."

"You're very welcome." Ash, Pikachu, and Pignite bowed.

Rylee looked to the sky as it began to set.

"The Pokémon are safe, as well as this island." she said.

Everyone looked to the Golurk statue.

"Thank you, Golurk!" the princesses cried. "Thank you!"

* * *

><p>The film ended and the lights came on. The theater remained silent.<p>

"They... didn't like it..." Luke said. He sighed and bowed his head.

Suddenly, the entire audience erupted into applause. Luke stood up to acknowledge himself. He beamed with pride and happiness. He, Jules, and two other people stood on the stage.

"The results are in!" the announcer said. "The winner of Best Picture is... Luke!"

A spotlight fell on Luke and they handed him a trophy. My friends and I went up to the stage.

"Your film was splendid, Luke." Mr. Gold said.

"Thank you!" Luke said.

"And now for the grand prize: the opportunity to direct a brand new film, back by resources from Pokéstar Studios!" the announcer said. The crowd went wild.

"Luke, you're going to do so awesome!" Iris said.

"Thanks!" Luke said. "I couldn't have done this without you! You guys made the film awesome!"

"Who would want to pass up the chance to be a villain?" Cilan said.

"Even though he exploded in the end." Ash said and Cilan laughed.

"I especially loved the little acts of improv that really captured the scene! Cilan, you nailed it when you spilled the details of your plot to Rylee while sinisterly taking her face in your hands. And Rylee, when you made your face all red in anger? Pure genius!"

"Oh, yeah, anger..." I said, letting out a nervous chuckle. I felt my cheeks heat up again. "I guess I was really into the moment."

Zorua covered her mouth with her paw and giggled quietly.


	14. Sweeter Than Violin or Lute

The Virbank City gym was different than the previous seven we visited. It was the home of a constant rock and roll concert, with screaming fans and screaming instrumental solos. The Gym Leader, Roxie, was the guitar player of a famous Unova band, "Koffing and the Toxics". Ash challenged Roxie and won, receiving his eighth and final gym badge.

We went to the Pokémon Center, and Nurse Joy told us the Unova League was still three months away.

"Well, since we've got some time until the Unova League, let's have some fun! See some sights!" I said. "Adventure is knocking at our door and we are going to answer it!"

"Someone's excited." Iris said.

"Well, we've got plenty of time to kill before the Unova League, so-"

"Let's start training right away!" Ash said.

"What?! That's not what I meant!" I said.

"Well, since we are in Virbank City, I suggest that we get a Bearticone!" Cilan said.

"That sounds yummy!" Iris said, licking her lips at the thought.

"Alright, then. We'll go get a Bearticone, and then we start training!" Ash said.

"Not what I had in mind, but okay..." I said.

* * *

><p>We went to a Bearticone stand, where we saw a woman with long blonde hair in deep contemplation. she wore a light blue halter top and black pants.<p>

"Hm, so many flavors to choose from..." she said, tapping her foot. "But which one do I pick?"

"Whoa... is that Cynthia?!" Ash said.

The woman turned around. "Ash, hello!" she said.

"Long time no see!"

"Hold on a minute!" Cilan said. "Are you saying you're friends with the Sinnoh League Champion?!"

"Yeah!" Ash said. "It's a long story."

I glanced at Iris, who stared at Cynthia in awe.

"I'm glad to see you doing well." Cynthia said.

"Thanks!" Ash said.

"Uh... I'm a Pokémon Connoisseur named Cilan!" Cilan stuttered.

Iris pushed her way to the front. "Hi, my name is Iris!" she said. "Hey, Cynthia?"

"Yes?" Cynthia said.

"Uh..." Iris blushed nervously and looked at her hands. "Nevermind..."

"This isn't awkward at all." I snickered. "What are you doing here in Virbank City, Cynthia?"

"I'm catching a plane that's going to eastern Unova." Cynthia said. "I'm going to Undella Town and then Lacunosa Town, where the Junior Pokémon World Cup Tournament is being held."

"Junior Tournament Pokémon Cup of World... Junior?" Ash said, scratching this head.

Cynthia chuckled. "I know what you mean. I'm been asked to do an exhibition match to open up the Tournament."

"So does that mean we'll get to see you battle live?!" Iris said.

"Hey, maybe I'll enter!" Ash said.

"Anyone can!" Cynthia said. "The winner of the tournament has the chance to battle Alder, the Unova League Champion!"

"Then I'm battling for sure!"

"I want to enter too!" Iris said.

"Interesting! I think I'll enter as well!" Cilan said.

"I think I'll pass on this one." I said. "But I'll have fun watching!"

"Oh, come on, Rylee! Since when are you one to chicken out of a challenge?" a voice behind me said.

I tensed up. The gaze of my friends lingered behind me before immediately shifting to me, as if urgently saying, "I wouldn't turn around if I were you." But I did, and I scowled. "Alyssa."

There she stood with a hand on her hip and a smile on her face.

"What are you doing here, Alyssa?" I said.

"I'm heading over to Lacunosa Town to enter the World Cup Tournament!" Alyssa said. "I mean, I actually thought you of all people would want to enter, but I guess not. Is this your way of finally admitting how weak you are?"

I clenched my fist. "Entering would mean a chance to battle you." I said. A small smile peeked at the corners of my mouth. "A chance to kick your butt? How could I pass that up? Alright then, I'm entering!"

Alyssa smiled and twirled her hair around her finger. That's when I noticed it: her bare neck empty of any accessory. I gasped softly and felt the bump of my locket.

"Well, I look forward to seeing you there." Alyssa said. She turned around with the flip of her hair and a finger wave. "See you later, sis!"

"Your sister sure is persuasive." Cilan said.

"Yeah..."

_The Legendary Trio of Milos Island said there is only one other necklace like mine in the world. The symbols on the necklace say, 'sister', so I assumed Alyssa had the other one. But she doesn't. If Alyssa doesn't have the other necklace, who does?_

* * *

><p>After having our delicious Bearticones, we hopped into Cynthia's jeep and spent half the car ride talking about how awesome they were.<p>

"It tasted like I was actually in Princess Pokémon's Holiday myself!" Cilan said.

"Excuse me, Cynthia?" Iris said, leaning forward to the front.

"Yes?" Cynthia said.

Before Iris could speak, something came out from the bushes and staggered into the road. Cynthia cried out and slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. After unsticking ourselves from the car seats, we got out of the car to investigate. Laying on the road was a collapsed Pokémon. It looked like a miniaturized human, with long hair that resembled notes on music measures, a gem on its forehead, and a grey dress. Its breathing grew labored and faint.

"It's a Meloetta!" Cynthia said. "It's an extremely rare Pokémon... but what is it doing here?"

I reached down and picked Meloetta up. "It's hurt." I said. "It needs to be treated."

"Yes."

I looked down at Meloetta. Its eyes slowly opened and it looked at me. Suddenly, images washed over my mind. I saw what looked like a large temple and inside rested a mirror object. I saw dark clouds rolling in with crackling thunder. A sinister laughed mixed with the stormy noises as I saw the faces of Thundurus, Tornadus, and Landorus, however their eyes glowed red. The images vanished and I gasped. Meloetta closed its eyes again. Cynthia had me lay it down on a blanket and she treated its wounds with a potion.

"Meloetta is still very weak." Cynthia said. "Iris, Cilan, can you go find me some Oran berries?"

The two nodded and disappeared into the forest.

"Ash, Meloetta's running a fever. Can you go and get me some ice?" Cynthia said.

"But I don't have and Ice-type Pokémon." Ash said.

"Hm... alright. I'll go and help you. Rylee, can you watch over Meloetta?"

"Of course." I said.

* * *

><p>After everyone left, I studied at Meloetta as it slept.<p>

"Don't worry, Meloetta." I said. "You'll get better soon."

Meloetta opened her eyes a bit. She looked at me and smiled.

"_You... you can stop them._" she said. "_You will save me._"

"What?" I said. "What do you mean?"

Meloetta fell back asleep. I huffed a deep breath. Cynthia and Ash returned with an ice pack and laid it on Meloetta's forehead. Cynthia received an urgent call and she had to leave. Oshawott came out of its PokéBall and sniffed the air. It caught sight of Meloetta and fell in love with it.

"Your Oshawott sure has some strange tastes." I said.

Ash laughed nervously. "I'm going to get some more ice." Ash disappeared back into the forest.

"I wonder what Meloetta meant. Who's this 'them' she mentioned?" I said.

Emolga flew over to us with a Oran berry branch in her mouth. However, the wind suddenly picked up and she crashed into Oshawott. After recovering from the crash, they started fighting.

"Hey, knock it off!" I cried, separating the two. I looked back to Meloetta, but she was gone.

"What's going on?" Iris called. Ash, Iris, and Cilan walked over to us.

"Well, these two are having a spat and Meloetta's gone." I said.

As Emolga and Oshawott continued to bicker, a song pierced the air. It came from the trees about us: sweet, soft, and beautiful, calming any sort of tension in my body. I gasped as I realized that I recognized this song. I recalled the first of my meetings with my father in the Cataclysm of Dreams, hearing a voice singing through the darkness. It was Meloetta's. I sighed as goosebumps rolled down my spine and the song relaxed my muscles. I looked at Emolga and Oshawott, and they had stopped fighting and turned their heads towards the voice.

"Where did Meloetta go?" Ash said. "We have more ice for it..."

"There's no need." Cynthia said, stepping out of her car. "Meloetta is back to health. I'm sure it's back in the forest."

"That's great." Ash said. "Take care, Meloetta!"

I looked up at the trees and my face fell free of expression. "This isn't the last time we'll see Meloetta."

"Why do you sat that?" Iris said. I gave my friends a look and they understood.

"Did you... have a vision?" Cilan said, lowering his voice so Cynthia couldn't hear.

I nodded. "I think it was of the future, but I didn't recognize anything I saw." I said. "Meloetta is somehow involved. It's in danger, and it said I'm the one that can protect it."

"Whatever it may be, we'll be there to help you!" Ash said.

"Right!" Iris said.

"But I don't want you to get hurt." I said. "I would never forgive myself."

"Rylee." Cilan said. He stepped closer to me and took my hand. I flinched from his touch. "We're with you every step of the way."

"Yeah!" Iris said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "No matter how hard you try, you're not getting rid of us this easily!"

"I specialize in many of the arts of a connoisseur, but this is something knew and challenging." Cilan said. "We care about you, Rylee. I care about you. I want to be there for you. Please. Let us help you."

I blinked away the tears forming in my eyes and smiled. I looked up at Cilan and squeezed his hand.

"Thanks, guys. I know I try to push you away to try and protect you, but I know it's not the answer and I'm grateful you're always there for me, no matter how much I think I don't need it." I looked at Ash and smiled. "This journey's not over yet. The Unova League and the World Cup Tournament are still waiting for us. The future, whatever it may be, can wait. But for now, I want to enjoy the present. Lacunosa Town, here we come!"


End file.
